


Wanky Friday

by Shadowkira



Category: Glee
Genre: F/F, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-22
Updated: 2014-02-10
Packaged: 2017-12-09 04:42:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 45,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/770099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowkira/pseuds/Shadowkira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Following the argument in 02 x 01 Audition, a little "divine intervention" gives Quinn and Santana the opportunity to learn more about one another. Can they put their differences aside to reverse the spell? Or are they destined to stay in their new bodies??</p><p>Started during Quinntana week 2013, inspired by Freaky Friday.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

xxx

_"You did this to me, you told Coach Sylvester about my summer surgery!"_

_"You have a surgery when you get your appendix out, you got a boob job!"_

_"Yep, sure did!"_

_"You can't hit me!"_

_"Well sure I can, unless you got yourself knocked_ _up again. Slut!"_

xxx

The New Directions sat in silence, eyes trained on the clock as it ticked away.

"I hate to say it... But I don't think anyone is going to be joining today." Rachel said, running toward where Mr. Schuester was sitting at the piano.

The older man went to argue, backed by Finn but the other students were already headed for the door.

Santana reached for Brittany's hand, walking briskly with the blonde toward the hallway.

Quinn rolled her eyes as she got up from her plastic chair, her arms folded tightly over her chest.

The blonde went straight to her locker to grab her things, she glared occasionally toward where Brittany and Santana were swapping out the books they would need for the next day.

She didn't see Tina approaching until the shorter girl stood right beside her.

"For luck." The girl chirped nervously, handing Quinn a fortune cookie.

The blonde narrowed her eyes at the cookie in her hand before flashing the other girl an incredulous look. She turned abruptly, slamming her locker before stalking away.

Tina frowned and shook her head before turning to approach Brittany and Santana.

Santana narrowed her eyes as the other dark haired girl approached them but Brittany bounced on her feet before offering a friendly 'hello.'

"Hey Brittany!" Tina said before digging around in her messenger bag, she quickly handed Brittany a candy bar making the blonde squeal in excitement.

Tina glanced up to meet Santana's eyes, the other girl was looking at her expectantly. The brunette's harsh expression had relaxed considerably but one brow was still arched drastically above the other.

"H-here." Tina said quickly, shoving the fortune cookie into Santana's outstretched hand.

"What the fuck Girl Chang, you actually carry these around with you?"

Tina moved to flee but Santana caught her by the strap of her bag. "Wait, why does Britt get chocolate?"

"'Cuz I'm a Unicorn, duh!" Brittany mumbled around a mouthful of her candy bar.

Santana frowned, staring longingly at the candy bar before wrinkling her nose at the oddly shaped cookie in her hand.

 

 

xxx

Quinn walked into the locker room, her head held high. One brow arched up above the other when she was shoulder checked roughly by Santana.

Brittany frowned as she slowed to a stop beside them, disapproval clouding her features.

"Was it worth it, _Quinn_?" Santana asked, poking her finger into the blonde's upper chest.

The head Cheerio's jaw flexed but she remained silent as her friend glared up at her.

Santana's face relaxed slightly when it became apparent that Quinn had no intention of responding. "Of course it was. It's not like we were ever friends to begin with." She muttered, turning to grab Brittany to head to their lockers.

"That is a lie and you know it." Quinn spat before she could stop herself.

Santana turned back around to face her, releasing Brittany in the process.

"Oh, really _Quinn_? Last time I checked... Besties didn't steal each others men. Getting knocked up was Karma, _bitch_."

"Because you clearly cared about _him_!" She cried, her eyes moving pointedly toward Brittany.

Santana narrowed her eyes, "Don't you dare bring her into this."

"Guys..." Brittany started, she tried to place a gentle hand on Santana's shoulder but the brunette shrugged it off.

"Go get changed Britt, Stretchmarks 'n me gots some talking to do."

Quinn looked between the two of them, the gentle look that crossed Santana's features when she addressed the other blonde made her jaw clench.

"Now, where were we?" Santana asked, wrinkling her nose in disgust as she looked back to Quinn.

"Just forget about it, you've got Brittany. Who else could you possibly need?"

Santana watched the taller girl turn and head toward Sue's office, the sharp retort she had been planning dried up in her throat.

She moved toward the door only for it to be slammed shut in her face, Santana shook her head bitterly.

This was who they were. Their friendship had always been built on a shaky foundation. Much like a hastily built house of cards that crumpled at the first sign of any kind of disturbance.

The truth weighed heavy on her chest, a familiar and painful nausea setting in right after it.

Santana pressed her back against the cool surface of the door, allowing her body to slide down it before settling on the floor.

A loud crunch snapped her from her thoughts, she twisted the small gym bag at her side so that it was sitting in her lap.

It took her a moment but she quickly located the fortune cookie from the day before.

She ripped the transparent wrapping with a sigh, plucking the small piece of paper from between the broken pieces of cookie.

Santana popped a piece of the semi-sweet cookie into her mouth, her eyes sweeping over both sides of the strip of paper.

 _"A journey begins, its prize reflected in another's eyes..."_ She crinkled her nose but continued quietly, _"When what you see is what you lack then selfless love will change you back."_

She finished reading the fortune, brows furrowed as she stared at the tiny black letters. Completely unaware that Quinn was doing the same on the other side of the door.

The two gasped in unison when the floor beneath them trembled suddenly, the door rattling in its hinges.

Inside Sue's office Quinn sat wide eyed, her hands flat against the floor as the room shook around her.

When the tremors finally stopped she heard loud footsteps echo down the hall, growing fainter as Santana reached the other Cheerios.

"Did you feel that?" She heard Santana ask over the pounding of her own heart.

"Feel what San?" Came Brittany's confused reply, Quinn shook her head.

 _'Leave it to Brittany to not notice an earthquake.'_ She thought, rising from the floor and onto unsteady legs.

 

 

xxx

Quinn groaned, her body was warm and heavy with sleep. She tried to shift but found her arms pinned to her body, she squinted. Her confusion deepened when she realized how dark her room was.

She tried to move again, this time her attempt was followed by a muffled groan.

Quinn's eyes widened when she finally realized what was going on. Lean arms were tightly wrapped around her body and when she continued to struggle the body behind her shifted, its owner nuzzling against her neck.

Her body tensed reflexively at the contact, an embarrassing rush of heat flashing through her belly.

"San..." Brittany's voice whined, sending Quinn's mind into a panicked overdrive.

She gently caught the other girl's hand as it teased the hem of her underwear.

"Britt it's Quinn... Let me go Brittany!" She hissed frantically, her face scarlet and pulse pounding in her ears.

Brittany whimpered a little, burying her face further into the pillow beneath Quinn's head.

The shorter girl's squirming stopped abruptly when Brittany's leg wrapped around her own, pinning her more securely to the mattress.

Quinn started to panic more, she grunted and managed to free her upper body from the girl's grip.

She stifled a pained cry as she stumbled free of Brittany's leg and to the floor.

She was up within seconds, her feet leading her straight for the bathroom when she recognized the darker room as Santana's.

Quinn didn't have time to question why she was in the Lopez home.

She closed the door and attempted to catch her breath for a moment before moving to the sink to splash water on her face.

Her eyes widened as they fell on her reflection, her mouth floundered a moment before she let out a loud scream.

Before she could collect her thoughts, Brittany was opening the bathroom door. The blonde's eyes were wide and worried, "San? What's wrong?"

Quinn gulped and tried her best to plaster a reassuring smile on her face. "Nothing B, just a spider."

"Oh." Brittany said, her expression immediately relaxed to one of amusement.

Quinn stiffened slightly when the taller girl moved closer, she pressed a chaste kiss to the brunette's temple before shuffling out of the bathroom.

Once she had finished freshening up, Quinn let Brittany have the bathroom and flopped down on the bed, her fingers twirling a dark lock of hair.

Quinn frowned as she glanced down at her darker, much fuller chest.

Her eyes snapped over suddenly toward Santana's night stand to where the brunette's iPhone was sitting silently.

 

 

xxx

Santana groaned, burrowing her face deeper into the pillow as a loud annoying buzz reverberated on the nightstand beside her.

Her hand reached out blindly, fumbling around for a second before finally finding her phone.

Instead of speaking she let out a low grunt as the call connected, _"Santana!"_ A raspy voice hissed, making the girl quirk a brow.

"The fuck?" She mumbled, her eyes snapping open at the sound of her own voice on the line.

"It's Quinn." The voice continued, her eyes narrowed as she pulled the phone away from her ear. She squinted as she read the caller's name, _'Satan.'_

"Really Q? Is this how you choose to invade my dreams? I always thought you'd make a more _spicy_ cameo appearance..." She snarked, falling back into the pillow with a huff.

"Can you be serious?!" Her own voice screamed in her ear, she frowned into the pillow. Pulling the phone away from her ear again, ignoring the fact that the voice on the line was still yelling.

She lifted her head when she heard the voice calm slightly, her name was being urgently repeated. Santana's brows furrowed when she finally took a look at her surroundings.

Her nose crinkled, realizing she was in fact in Quinn Fabray's too bright, purple painted bedroom. Her hand lifted up a strand of straight blonde hair, her brows furrowed together more firmly as she flexed her pale hand.

"What the fuck is going on?" She asked finally, a relieved sigh reached her ear.

"I don't know... Where are you?"

"Your bedroom, princess. Where the hell are _you_?"

Quinn chewed on her lip a moment, her eyes moving toward the bathroom door. By the sounds of it, Brittany was in the shower. "In yours. _What_ is going on with you and Brittany?" She asked, ignoring the fact that this was something they had never in the past talked about. It wasn't necessary to, she knew that they had a physical relationship but she hadn't been certain how physical or how frequent. And she didn't care to bother herself with the details, until now that is.

Santana remained silent a moment and she was partially grateful. It was beyond bizarre hearing her own voice coming back at her over the line.

"What did she do?" The other girl asked finally, her voice unusually quiet.

Quinn tried to ignore the heat that burned at her cheeks at the memory, "N-nothing... I just wasn't really expecting to wake up to someone beside me." She lied, running an unsteady hand through her now dark hair.

She guessed Santana knew it was a lie but again was grateful when the other girl decided not to push it. "Quinn, what do we do?"

"I don't know. Are your parents home? You can't stay there... My father will know something is up." She said, trying to keep her own fear from creeping into her voice.

"Mine will be gone for the weekend... We can stay there until we figure this out."

Quinn nodded, thinking for a moment before responding. "You're going to have to ask daddy if that's okay... And he won't let you leave until after breakfast. Say it's for school, or Cheerios. Nothing about Glee club or anything."

"As if I would bring up _Glee club_ , I'm not that dense, Fabray. And _daddy_? Do I really have to call him that?" Santana asked, not bothering to try and hide the loathing from her voice.

Quinn fought down the nervous nausea bubbling up her throat, "Yes, you do. If he thinks something is up he will _not_ let you leave." She said seriously, "Just say the bare minimum of what you need to... Nothing else, okay?"

Santana huffed out a sigh, "Fine. Where is your shit so I can pack a bag?"

 

 

xxx

Santana frowned, smoothing down the front of her simple yellow sundress as she made her way down the steps. She had Quinn's purple floral backpack tight to her back, her WMHS duffel bag hanging at her side and her words ready for Russell Fabray.

The man merely had to continue to exist to grate on her nerves, having to face him and act like his faithful daughter was a daunting task to say the least.

"Good morning, Quinnie." Russell said over his news paper, Judy bobbed her head in greeting and brought over a plate for Santana.

"Morning daddy." Santana mumbled out softly, Russell's brows lifted but he remained silent.

Santana picked at her food, cringing inwardly as she bit into a slice of bacon. "Daddy?"

"Yes, Quinn?"

"I have a project I need to work on this weekend, Brittany, Santana and I were going to work on them together..."

"You know I don't like that girl, Quinnie." Judy bobbed her head in agreement.

"What?"

"That _Mexican_ , she's a bad influence on you."

Santana set her jaw but said nothing in response, "If it is for a project, I suppose it is all right. Will you be home for church?"

"I don't think so. There's quite a bit to do, daddy."

Russell nodded, taking another sip of his drink. "Okay dear, just make sure you get your work done. And don't forget to pray."

 

 

xxx

"Hey Quinn!" Brittany chirped, sitting up on the bed.

Santana frowned slightly as she put her bags down but it was gone by the time she looked back toward the other blonde. "Hey."

"I wish I could stay... I didn't realize you were coming over! We could have totally had an Unholy Trinity reunion!"

Quinn laughed, mimicking the smile Santana reserved for Brittany. "Totally. Where do you have to go again?"

The other girl chewed on the inside of her cheek, "Mom's taking us to visit her sister, we'll be gone the whole weekend..." She mumbled, her eyes losing a bit of their shine. "I'll miss you." She whimpered, cuddling closer to the brunette's body.

Quinn stiffened at the contact, her eyes moving to meet Santana's. It was bizarre staring at herself, she had almost forgotten about Brittany until the other girl planted a wet kiss to her cheek.

Santana's teeth worried her lip, a twinge of jealousy tugging at her stomach.

Santana watched as Quinn shrunk away from Brittany's touch, her eyes flicking over to meet the blonde's again in a desperate plea for help.

"When do you have to leave Britt?"

The other girl looked up before detaching herself from Quinn reluctantly, "Soon... Mom said I had an hour."

"Oh..." Santana said with a frown, said that she had missed spending time with her before she had to leave. Brittany rose and made her way quickly over to the shorter blonde.

She squeezed Santana tightly, "I think I broke 'Tana... She's been acting silly all morning, keep an eye on her after I leave?" She whispered worriedly against the other girl's ear.

Santana shivered at the contact and nodded dumbly, squeezing her back.

"I will." She said, meeting Quinn's eyes over Brittany's shoulder.

 

 

xxx

About an hour after Santana arrived Mrs. Pierce had come to pick up Brittany, leaving Quinn and Santana alone together.

They were quiet at first, unsure of what to say.

Santana spoke up first, "Your father is more of a nightmare than I remembered."

She watched with mild amusement as fear crept across her own features as Quinn began to inwardly panic.

"What did he do?" She asked in the smallest voice Santana had ever heard come from her own lips.

"He told me how bad of an influence I am on you." Quinn blanched, her mouth floundering for a moment.

"H-he what?"

"Chill, Quinn. It's okay, I'm used to it." She grinned cheekily as she flopped down on the bed beside the shorter girl. "Besides... I _am_ a pretty bad influence." She breathed against the brunette's ear.

Quinn shivered, her eyes wide as Santana pulled back with a playful smirk. It was strange seeing the trademark look on her own pale features.

"You know... I gotta say, Q... You've got quite the body, even after pushing that lizard baby out of your vagina."

Quinn gave her a scandalized look as her hands moved slowly down her torso, "What are you doing?!"

"Just enjoyin' what I gots while I gots it, Q..." She said with a smirk. "I doubt you pay this fine body any attention."

"Stop it, Santana!" The brunette hissed, her hands reaching for the taller girl's as they moved lower.

Santana chuckled when Quinn tried to wrestle her hands away from her body. The sound dried up in her throat when an overwhelming flustered feeling entered her chest. She gave a small gasp, cheeks flushing when Quinn finally had a tight grip on both of her wrists.

"What the hell?" The blonde mumbled, tugging out of Quinn's grip.

The brunette narrowed her eyes, "What?"

"N-nothing..." She muttered, averting her eyes when her heart rate picked up even more.

Quinn sat back, sniffing indignantly. "Well, you need to get your act together before Monday or everyone is going to think we're insane."

"You, everyone will think _you're_ insane. If you keep scowling like that, no one will look twice."

Quinn rolled her eyes, "I'd appreciate it if I could have my image intact with my body when I get it back."

Santana frowned, dropping her eyes to her lap. "Do you... Do you think we'll ever get them back?" She asked seriously, her voice small.

Quinn chewed on her lip, "I don't know."

"How does this even _happen_?"

Quinn remained silent, unsure of what Santana wanted to hear.

"Did anything out of the ordinary happen last night?"

Santana flushed slightly, her eyes moving toward the wrinkled sheets behind her. "No... Not that I can think of."

Quinn flushed, her eyes going wide as she remembered how she had been woken up.

"Girl Chang gave me a fortune cookie, that was weird but that was on Thursday." Santana mumbled in an attempt to change the subject.

Quinn's eyes went comically wide before she jumped to her feet and began to pace back and forth angrily. "I'm going to _kill_ her!"

"Huh?"

"She gave me a fortune cookie too! 'For luck' my ass." She growled, crossing her arms over her chest.

"So wait... She gave us both fortune cookies on Thursday... Why would it happen _now_?" She asked, Quinn shook her head.

"I didn't read the fortune until Friday, in the locker room right before that earthquake."

"You felt that too?" Santana asked, jumping to her feet.

Quinn nodded, "Yeah."

"Thank God! No one else did, they thought I was crazy."

Quinn shook her head, "You _are_ crazy, don't get me wrong. But that earthquake _did_ happen."

Santana rolled her eyes, "So... What do we do?"

"For now, we practice being each other... Then we get the truth out of Tina on Monday."

 

 

xxx

Quinn narrowed her eyes, watching with slight amusement as Santana shoved more popcorn into her mouth.

"What?" The blonde managed to ask around a mouthful, Quinn wrinkled her nose.

"Just... Not used to the image of myself _shoveling_ food into my mouth." She dead panned, a dark brow arched.

Santana stopped chewing and glared at the brunette before swallowing what was in her mouth. "Could have fooled me... You've got the mouth for it, Fabray."

Quinn gaped at her, and Santana's grin widened as she continued. "Tell me Q, how many Chubby bunny showdowns have you won?"

The blonde squeaked in surprise when Quinn suddenly sent a pillow flying her way.

"Shut up, Santana!"

"Make me." The taller girl taunted, putting the popcorn bowl on the floor.

Santana chuckled, dodging the next pillow the brunette threw her way. "Careful Fabgay, those pillows get any closer and they might try and recruit you for the softball team!"

She watched gleefully as the other girl's neck and cheeks flushed, getting a reaction she knew well from the normally cool, calm and collected 'ice queen.'

" _Shut up_!" Quinn repeated, flogging the giggling girl with the pillow in her hands.

"Wait..." Quinn managed out between deep, panting breaths. "I see what you're doing."

Santana pushed herself up off of the mattress and onto her forearms. "What am I doing?" She asked, genuinely curious.

"I am not coming back to a body covered in bruises." The brunette muttered, crossing her arms over her full chest.

"...It's a pillow, Q." Santana said in an exasperated tone.

Quinn stared at her a moment before a lopsided smirk tugged at her full lips. Before she could move out of the way, Santana found herself getting struck with a direct blow to the cheek.

"You _bitch_! That's not fair!" She cried, lunging toward the shorter girl.

She decided to use her knowledge of her own body to her advantage, her fingers moving quickly at the girl's sides.

"N-no! Santana, s-stop it!" Quinn managed around her uncontrollable laughter.

"No way! I never get to tickle you. Got to take my chance while I gots it, Q."

The tickle attack lasted for several minutes before Santana decided the brunette had had enough. Her hands stilled at the shorter girl's aching sides as the tremors wracking Quinn's frame slowly subsided.

Santana watched with amusement as familiar eyes finally cracked open between gasps. It was odd, looking at herself but still seeing someone else in her features and mannerisms.

"Y-you're evil." Quinn muttered, trying to will her breathing back to normal.

Santana remained still and silent, merely staring at the other girl. She blinked suddenly when an odd fluttering sensation filled her abdomen.

The feeling took her by surprise, it was typically reserved only for Brittany.

She pulled away quickly, as if she had been burned.

"Santana?" Quinn asked, pushing her way up onto her forearms like the other girl had done earlier.

After a moment the blonde flashed her a serious look, "You better not have pissed on my bed."

 

 

xxx

Quinn buried her head deeper into her pillow when Santana stirred next to her.

The blonde moved again and Quinn huffed angrily into the soft fabric beneath her chin. "Will you lay still?" She grumbled in annoyance.

"Can't. Your body is wide awake..." Santana mumbled, clearly frustrated by the habit of her foreign skin.

"Try laying on your side." Quinn whispered softly, the blonde was silent for a moment before doing as the other girl had instructed.

Santana remained silent but her heart rate spiked when a warm arm wrapped around her waist.

She breathed in deeply, trying to calm herself and figure out why she was responding to Quinn's touch this way.

As her body relaxed and became heavy with sleep, a thought crossed her mind that would haunt her in the morning. Was it her responding to Quinn's touch or was it Quinn's body responding to _her_ touch?


	2. Chapter 2

Quinn stretched her arms above her head, surprised and a little disappointed to find the bed next to her was empty.

Her frown deepened when she found no sign of Santana in the room and settled herself back into the covers.

Within several minutes her body was heavy and slipping back into sleep. She didn't even hear the door creaking open.

"Aren't you up yet?" Santana asked in a mock exasperated tone.

Quinn groaned, wrapping the sides of her pillow around her face protectively with her arms.

She stiffened when she felt the mattress dip by her feet, "Q..." Santana whined as she made her way up the bed.

"Come on, get up! I've been up for hours."

"What time is it?" Quinn croaked, peeking an eye out passed her pillow.

"Almost one o'clock."

"What?!" The brunette cried, sitting up suddenly. "Why didn't you wake me up sooner?"

Santana gave her an amused look, "I rather enjoy living and wasn't sure you would be coherent enough to care that this is _your_ body."

Quinn rolled her eyes and swung her legs over the side of the bed, brows furrowing when she realized she wasn't wearing the sweat pants she had put on before bed.

"Why are my pants on the floor?" She asked, her voice holding an accusatory tone.

Santana chuckled, and raised her hands defensively. "Habit. Consider yourself lucky, I normally sleep nude." The blonde wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and Quinn found herself torn between whether or not she should be embarrassed by 'her' bodies state of undress or the bizarre way the expression had twisted her pale features.

She stared after the taller girl as she made her way back over to the door.

"Go freshen up, I'm going to start us a pizza."

xxx

"Will you stop shoving food into your mouth like an animal?" Quinn asked, pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger.

"Sorry, your body is just always so fucking _hungry_... I don't know how you stick to Sue's weight requirements."

Quinn's teeth teased her bottom lip before she went back to eating slowly, the two ate in silence for a few minutes until they both jumped when Santana's cell phone blared.

"Well, are you going to to get it or stare at it?" The blonde asked, one slender brow arched.

Quinn swallowed nervously before grabbing the phone, "It's Brittany."

"Just answer it, Q!"

"Hey Britt." Quinn said, trying to sound as normal as possible when the line connected.

"Hey, 'Tana! How was the sleepover, is Quinn a good cuddler?" The bubbly blonde asked with a giggle, Quinn's eyes widened.

"Uhm, sure B." Santana cocked her head to the side and tried to mouth for Quinn to put the call on speaker phone.

"She's not better than me though, right?"

Quinn narrowed her eyes, her jaw flexing. Santana blinked, her neck straightening as she went to move closer to the phone.

The brunette held up her hand, signalling for the other girl to stay put.

"San?"

"Yeah B, not better than you. No one is better than you." Quinn said finally, somehow keeping her expression from seeping into her tone.

The rest of the conversation was kept casual and Santana grew increasingly worried by the distant and grumpy expression that clouded the tan features of her friend. After several minutes Quinn rose from her seat to pass the phone off to Santana.

The blonde frowned, her eyes following the brunette as she left the dining room. "Hey, Britt."

xxx

Santana's teeth worried her lip as she headed up toward her room. "Quinn?" She asked, peeking her head into her bedroom.

The brunette grumbled incoherently from the bed, Santana took a step closer.

She couldn't help but chuckle, "I don't know if now is the time... But you're being a _very_ convincing Santana Lopez right now." She said, trying to sound as friendly as possible.

"Go away." Quinn muttered, pulling the covers up over her head.

"Uhm, no. Not until you tell me what the fuck happened back there."

Quinn glared through the dark curtain of hair that framed her face, "Why? We don't talk Santana." She sneered before shoving her face back into the pillow beneath her.

Santana frowned, something like disappointment tugging at her stomach. "Quinn..."

"No. We haven't before and we're not going to start now. Just leave me alone, Santana."

The blonde rose reluctantly, the feeling in her stomach twisting more tightly as she made her way to the bedroom door.

xxx

"Hey Quinn, you need to get up... You sleep anymore and you won't be able to sleep tonight, believe me, I know." She mumbled, poking the lump in the middle of her bed. "Quiiiinn."

The lump stirred slightly until a dark head pushed up from underneath of the covers. Santana chewed on her lip, taking in the way a light sheen of sweat clung to her features.

Quinn smacked her lips and looked around herself through squinted eyes, she flushed when they landed on the blonde.

"What's up, Quinn?" Santana asked cheekily, a smile tugged at her lips when dark eyes darted down to her lips.

"I... Uhm, how long was I out?" Quinn asked, voice still rough with sleep. She averted her eyes and ran an unsteady hand through her dark hair.

"A few hours, like three." Santana responded smoothly, inspecting her freshly painted nails. "You're dodging, Q. It's written all over _my_ pretty face."

Quinn blanched and moved to hide back under the covers. She knew that Santana would never let her sneak passed her and out of the room.

"Nuh-uh... Get back here, Q." Santana said, tugging back the covers.

"Why?" Quinn asked in a biting tone, "Are you going to offer your _services_?" She spat, reaching for the covers to pull them back up.

To her dismay, Santana decided to not take the bait.

"Would that be considered masturbation?" She mused with a chuckle, Quinn flushed a shade darker. She was grateful for the fact that the only light in the room was coming in from the hallway.

Her dark eyes flashed threateningly when she noticed Santana readying herself to continue.

"Don't worry, Q. You're not my type, I don't do prudes."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Santana knew she had made a mistake.

The blonde let out a surprised squeak when she was hit roughly in the face with a pillow. Santana blinked and turned to watch Quinn stomp her way to the door.

"I'm getting a shower." She said when she paused by a threshold, her tone hinting that she wouldn't want company afterward.

Santana frowned, not understanding what was such a big deal. "Make sure its extra frigid, like your soul!" She paused a moment, flinching when the bathroom door was slammed loudly.

"And no touching the goods, Fabray!"

xxx

Quinn scowled when she reentered the bedroom to find Santana sprawled out across the bed. The blonde was reading with her back pressed to the headboard.

" _What_ are you doing?" Quinn asked, stopping just inside the room.

"Uh. What does it look like, genius?"

"You couldn't study somewhere else?" Quinn bit back, moving for the other girl's dresser.

"Do I need to remind you that this is _my_ bedroom?"

Quinn ignored her and wrinkled her nose as she began to dig through the dresser drawers for something to wear. "Do you own any actual _clothes_?" The brunette asked, holding up a denim pair of short shorts that could pass for underwear.

"Sorry Q, I think I out grew all of my sundresses at seven."

"So at the same time as _these_?" She asked sarcastically, waving the shorts toward the blonde.

Santana rolled her eyes and went back to reading. She looked back over toward her friend as she turned her page.

"Will you stop staring?" Quinn huffed, reminding herself that the body Santana was inspecting was not actually her own.

"Why? I can see way better than I ever could in a mirror." She said thoughtfully as she closed her book.

Quinn narrowed her eyes, "Don't even _think_ about it."

Santana ignored her, the blonde's eyes zeroed in on tan thighs.

"Santana..." Quinn warned, tightening her grip on the edge of her towel.

"Shh." The blonde hummed, shifting off of the bed before moving to close the distance between them.

Quinn flinched away irritably and Santana rolled her eyes.

"It's not _your_ body, Q. Chill!" She leaned down slightly, inspecting the thighs of her normal body.

" _What_ are you doing?!" Quinn hissed, jerking away when Santana's pale hand made contact with her skin.

"It might be _your_ body but _I_ am the one currently inhabiting it!" The brunette spat, Santana ignored her but retracted her hand.

The taller girl made a disapproving sound in the back of her throat as she straightened back up.

"What?" Quinn asked, trying not to sound offended.

"I need to tighten my ass and thighs up... I'm surprised Sue hasn't said anything."

"She's probably too preoccupied with your boob job." Quinn said, earning herself a glare from the blonde.

"Right, thanks for reminding me." She said as she turned to make her way back to the bed.

The brunette's teeth worried her lip, "Your body is perfect, you know."

Santana paused but didn't turn, "That's part of why I was so mad when you bragged about your surgery." She said quietly, she snapped her mouth shut when Santana shot her a strange look.

She hid her blush by turning back to the dresser to begin getting dressed.

The two were silent for a few minutes and by the time Quinn was dressed Santana had finished her studying.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" The brunette asked as she took a seat on the edge of the bed.

Santana nodded with a sigh, "Think so... Dreading going home after school more than school itself."

Quinn frowned, "Yeah... I'll try to think about some way around that." She said, picking at the dark comforter.

"Thanks." Santana said softly, pausing a moment before continuing. "You can talk to me about it you know... We're both going through it."  
Quinn looked up, a crease wrinkling her brow.

"That's why you've been upset all day, isn't it?" The blonde asked, watching the other girl closely.

Quinn stared at her silently for a moment before responding, "Yeah, that's why." She said before lowering her eyes again.

Shifting at the uncomfortable silence, Santana moved to get up off of the bed. "You hungry, Q?"

The brunette nodded, running a hand through her hair before moving to follow.

xxx

Quinn gripped her steering wheel tightly, wringing its cover as she waited for Santana.

"What is taking her so long?" She huffed in annoyance, releasing her steering wheel to straighten out her uniform.

The brunette jumped when she heard a loud knock on the glass next to her. She quickly put down her window and gratefully accepted the warm thermos of coffee. "Thanks."

"No problem, figured we both needed it." Santana responded as she slid into the passenger seat and shut her door.

"So I guess this means I've got a car now, sweet."

Quinn narrowed her eyes, "No, you don't. Whenever we're together, _I_ drive."

Santana rolled her eyes, "Yes ma'am, sorry ma'am."

The two fell silent, sipping at their coffee until they made their way to the school parking lot.

"Let's do this." Santana said with a wink as they exited the car, Quinn laughed and shook her head.

xxx

Quinn hummed to herself quietly as she pulled the necessary books from 'her' locker. She stiffened when she felt two lean arms wrap around her torso. "Hey, 'Tana." The blonde murmured, nuzzling against the shorter girl's neck.

"Hey B, missed you. Was the rest of your weekend good?" Quinn asked, ignoring the shiver that had rolled down her spine. She flashed the taller girl a smile before going back to her locker.

"Yep! It would have been better with you though." She said, pressing a quick kiss to the brunette's neck before pulling away completely.

"Hey." The two girls turned, smiles widening as they fell on the shorter blonde.

"Hi Quinn! I'm so glad you two made up!" Brittany said happily, clapping her hands.

The two exchanged glances and sheepish smiles.

"Me too." Quinn said, speaking up first and watching Santana's expression closely. The blonde remained silent but nodded after a moment, a smile tugging at her lips.

The three friends chatted for several minutes before Quinn placed a hand on Santana's shoulder.

"Tina." She whispered too quietly for Brittany to hear, she nodded her head toward the darker haired girl.

"Be right back, Britt." Santana said hurriedly, before she and Quinn moved to follow Tina.

The girl was walking calmly toward her first period class, her body immediately stiffened when she heard Santana's voice calling her name.

Tina glanced over her shoulder before picking up her pace, the cheerleaders swore under their breath and sped up as well.

"Damn it!" Quinn swore as she saw Tina disappear into her designated classroom.

"It's fine, we'll get her later." Santana said, "We have to get to class too."

Quinn nodded and allowed Santana to drag her toward their first class.

xxx

"Girl Chang." Santana said as she and Quinn cornered the girl on her way to Glee club.

"Tina." Quinn said, arching a brow and folding her arms over her chest.

"Oh... My... God." The smaller girl gasped, eyes wide. "It worked!"

"No shit." Santana snarled, Quinn nudged her.

" _Santana_." She warned quietly, reminding the blonde of the students around them.

"You had better reverse whatever Chinese voodoo you put on us, _Tina_."

The shorter girl paled visibly and gulped, clutching her bag closer. "I-I don't know h-how."

"Cut the stutter, T. We know it's fake." Quinn said, raising her voice in an attempt to cover their tracks after Santana's earlier outburst.

"I'm serious..." Tina said, taking a deep, steadying breath. "I don't know how to reverse it."

"Then why would you have used it?!" Santana asked, her voice harsh with her anger.

"The fortune, it should tell you how..." Tina offered weakly.

Quinn worried her lip, "Come on Santana, let's go."

The blonde raised her eye brows and looked between the two of them before nodding. "Fine. If you think of anything you tell us, got it?" She said, glaring down at Tina.

The darker haired girl nodded frantically and sighed in relief when they finally walked away.

xxx

Santana shifted uncomfortably on her plastic chair and shot Quinn a sympathetic look. She could tell that the other girl was doing her best to play her role convincingly with Brittany.

It turned out that Glee club was rather uneventful today, well, the singing portion of it anyway. It was discovered that Rachel had tricked one of their aspiring new recruits into going to a crack house. The obnoxious brunette was currently getting an earful from Figgins and Mister Schue.

 _'Serves her right.'_ Santana thought before turning her attention back to the other Cheerios.

She frowned as an odd feeling, eerily similar to jealousy seeped into her chest. Brittany had pulled one of Quinn's hands onto her lap and was playing idly with tan fingers. Santana shook her head, reminding herself of the barely concealed discomfort etched into the brunette's features.

Even with the reminder, the feeling didn't dissipate until the girls all reconnected as they exited the choir room.

xxx

Quinn sighed, wiping sweat from her brow as she headed into the locker room.

"How do you like being my bottom, Q?" Santana whispered against her ear before walking passed her with a playful smirk.

"You wish." Quinn muttered but a small smile tugged at her lips.

She didn't notice it at first but after being in the muggy locker room for several minutes she found herself feeling antsy.

She furrowed her brow and tried to calm herself, unsure of why she was feeling this way. Quinn glanced discreetly at the Cheerios around her. Most of them were in various stages of undress, removing their uniforms so that they could get to the showers.

She had seen all of these girl's bodies throughout the years but something was _different_.

Quinn shook her head and tried to ignore the odd feeling. She quickly undressed before rushing toward the showers.

As she passed some of the other girls she felt her body growing increasingly warm and it had nothing to do with the muggy atmosphere.

The brunette hung up her towel and turned on the water, she adjusted the temperature before sliding beneath the spray with a sigh.

She smiled softly as the warmth seeped into her achy muscles before leaning forward and pressing her forehead to the cool tile wall.

xxx

After their showers Santana had driven Quinn home, the brunette worried her lip as she stared out the car window.

"Are you sure you don't want to see if you can sleep over again?" She asked, Santana nodded.

"I'll be okay, I don't want your dad thinking anything is suspicious." She said, giving the shorter girl what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

"Okay, text me if you need anything." Quinn said, flashing the blonde a small smile of her own before exiting the car.

Santana watched the brunette to make sure that she made it inside safely before pulling away from the curb.

"What am I doing?" She mumbled, wringing the steering wheel cover in her grip as she drove toward the Fabray home.

xxx

Santana sighed and ran a hand through her hair as she stared at the front door to the Fabray home. She steeled her resolve for a moment before turning the knob.

She wasn't surprised to find it was unlocked, Judy was most likely home and bustling away in the kitchen.

"Quinnie?" The older woman called just as the front door clicked shut. Santana closed her eyes and gripped the strap of her duffel bag more tightly.

"Yes mom?" She said finally, trying to make her voice sound a little higher and more pleasant than she felt.

"How was school, dear?" Judy asked as she entered the hallway from the kitchen. The older blonde was wearing a floral apron and clutching a glass of what appeared to be whiskey in one hand and a spoon in the other.

Santana fought down the urge to roll her eyes at how predictable the older woman was, "Good, Cheerios went well too."

Judy nodded her approval and took a sip of her drink. Santana knew it wasn't her first glass by the flush to her cheeks and dilated pupils.

"Did you hand that project in?"

The younger woman blinked, surprised that her friend's mother had even remembered. "Yes, I should find out by the end of the week how I did."

Judy nodded again, this time humming in place of her usual nod. "Dinner will be done soon. Your father had to leave early this morning on a business trip... He said he may be back later this week, depending on how long they take to close their deal."

Santana nodded, relief flooding her at the news. She could handle Judy a lot easier than she could Russell, or the both of them for that matter.

"Go work on your homework for a bit, dear. I will call you down when dinner is ready."

"Yes mom." Santana said with a smile, not needing any further encouragement to start up the steps toward 'her' bedroom.

As soon as she was within the purple room she closed the door and leaned against it, fishing Quinn's phone from her pocket.

_Your dad is away on business, Judy said she's not sure when he'll be back._

She shoved the phone back into the pocket of her sundress before placing her bags down on the floor by the bed. She had barely sat down when an excited reply arrived with quick ring tone.

_**Satan:** Thank God. That will make this so much easier._

Santana rolled her eyes as the sender's name finally dawned on her again, she typed out her reply quickly before grabbing her books from Quinn's bag. Luckily, the two had most of their classes together so most of their workload was the same.

 _I still can't believe_ that _is how you have my name in your phone._

She scanned her notes while she waited for the reply but it seemed Quinn was more than eager to reply quickly.

 _ **Satan:** Because Fabgay is so much better, right? Where did that even _come _from?_

Santana snickered as she typed out her reply, hitting send before once again looking back to her notes.

_**Fabgay:** I've seen you looking at my ass, Q. Besides, it was the comment in celibacy club that was the catalyst. And that was all on you, blondie._

The response was a little delayed this time, Santana was relieved because she was actually able to get through an entire page of studying before the phone went off again.

_**Satan:** What comment?_

_**Fabgay:** You really don't remember, Q? 'Thank God for the perv that invented these?' You were totally checking out my ass while you said it. _

**_Satan:_** _Yeah... Thank God because we were able to use those uniforms to our_ advantage _, Santana. Without Cheerios and those uniforms we wouldn't rule the school!  
_

 ** _Fabgay:_** _Speak for yourself, I have boys_ and _girls drooling without the use of that uniform. Your sundresses just don't cut it, Q._

 **_Satan:_ ** _Whatever. Make sure you find that fortune and ask mom if you can stay over again tomorrow, we need to try to reverse this. I'm sick of being in your body._

 **_Fabgay:_ ** _Feeling is mutual, Stretchmarks. Where did you put the damn thing?_

 **_Satan:_ ** _The trash. Whore. Stop calling me that._

Santana was halfway through typing her response when Judy called up the steps, "Dinner is ready!"

"Alright mom, I will be down in a moment." Santana called back, closing her notebook and finishing her text.

 **_Fabgay:_ ** _Alright prude, I'll get it after dinner. Did I ever tell you your mom is a MILF?_

Snickering to herself the blonde hit send before tossing the phone back onto the bed and moving to head down stairs, she didn't stop to turn around when the familiar ring tone blared behind her.

xxx

Dinner passed quickly and Santana kept the conversations as sparse as possible.

Once the meal was finished she begrudgingly gathered the dishes. The younger woman was relieved to find that most of them went into the dishwasher, the rest she and Judy washed by hand.

When they were finished she managed to quickly make her escape back up to Quinn's bedroom, claiming she had more homework to do before bed.

Santana shut the door and immediately settled herself back on the plush bed. Her eyes widened when she swiped her hand across Quinn's phone to unlock the screen. She had five unread texts and two missed calls.

"Jesus... All this because I called your mom a MILF?" She muttered, furrowing her brows as she read the texts.

She hadn't been surprised to find that the messages were all from the other girl but their content however, took her by surprise.

 _ **Satan:** _ _Ew, that is disgusting. You're as bad as Puck!_

 **_Satan:_ ** _Oh. My. God. Santana you had better eat quickly!  
_

 **_Satan:_ ** _Seriously, Santana! I need help._

 **_Satan:_ ** _I think Britt is trying to sext..._

 ** _Satan:_** _I'm going to bleach my eyes, why is Puck sending you_ nudes _?!_

Santana's eyes widened and a loud laugh erupted from her throat, she pressed her hand over her mouth before hitting call.

"Oh my God. What took you so long?!" Quinn shrieked, "I'm having a crisis here, Santana."

"I can hear that..." Santana muttered, pulling the phone away from her ear in case the other girl decided to continue with a raised voice.

"What do I do?"

"Tell Puck to fuck off, tell Britt... That you're on the phone with Abuela."

"Thanks." Quinn mumbled, growing quiet for a moment as she typed out the responses.

"No prob." Santana said, leaning off the bed a little to reach down and grab the small trash can between it and Quinn's desk. "Found the fortune by the way, I'll make sure to bring it tomorrow. Your moms didn't put up too much of a struggle when I asked her about letting me stay over at _'your'_ place tomorrow."

"Really?" Quinn asked, her voice louder as she brought the phone back up to her cheek.

Santana smirked, "Yeah, just took a little coaxing..."

"Santana! Please!" Quinn gasped in exasperation, "I just got over some crazy orgy with our friends on _your_ phone. I don't need to hear about your sapphic fantasies involving my mother."

"Sorry, really. I am sorry. Especially about Puck... He does that sometimes. Bastard."

"Are you two..."

"Still hooking up? Nah, not really. He still tries though."

"Why not?"

"He's your baby daddy, Q. Not to mention... I'm still pretty pissed off at him for all that, he told me he got you _drunk_."

Quinn was quiet for a moment and Santana could feel heat making its way up her neck, "Also, he's disgusting and I don't want to get anything from him." She amended, not wanting to make it sound like she was too concerned about the other girl or her well being.

"Right." Quinn said finally, making Santana release the breath she had been holding.

"Hey, I'm gonna go." The blonde said, running a hand through her hair before continuing. "I've got a bad headache... And I want to be well rested for Cheerio practice tomorrow morning."

"Yeah, that's a good point. Thanks for reminding me."

"No problem. I'm picking you up on the way, right?"

"Yes, please." Quinn said, her voice sounded much lighter now.

"Okay, see you tomorrow, Q."

"Same, bye Santana." The call ended with a click and Santana lowered the device to the bed. She set an alarm, pleased to see Quinn already had one programmed in for the days they had AM practices.

Tomorrow would be a big day for them, with Tina's hint in mind they were going to try and reverse their bizarre situation with what had started it in the first place. The fortune. Santana flexed her hand, the motion crinkling the tiny piece of paper. She sighed and leaned over the bed again to carefully slide the paper into a pocket of the small section of the front of Quinn's back pack.

She was ready to be in her own body again.


	3. Chapter 3

Santana rapped her fingers on the steering wheel to the song playing on the radio as she waited for Quinn to come outside.

She flashed the brunette a quick smile as she slid into the car. "Sorry..." The other girl mumbled, tugging on her seat belt as Santana started driving.

"S'all good, Q." The blonde said, waving her hand nonchalantly. "We'll still be on time. Besides, I know how my body is." She said pointing to the coffee thermos sitting in the center console.

"I never thought I would say this but I may have to reconsider calling you Satan..." Quinn said, humming happily as the steaming liquid warmed her body.

Santana chuckled, she quirked a brow several minutes later when she noticed Quinn shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

"Did the dreams start yet?"

"Huh?" The brunette asked, whipping her head around to face the taller girl. When she caught sight of the blonde's lecherous smirk her tan cheeks flushed slightly and she averted her eyes. "No, they did not."

Santana hummed cheekily, "Oh, they will. Sorry Q, I swear my body is reptilian... I need something warm beneath me to digest my food."

Quinn wrinkled her nose at the thought, "Lovely... Can we not talk about this?"

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to." Quinn said simply before drinking more of her coffee, Santana rolled her eyes.

xxx

Quinn stifled a yawn as they walked onto the field, the brunette was a step behind Santana.

Sue glanced up over her clip board and scrunched up her features. "How did you manage to fit Sandbags into that pathetic excuse for a vehicle, Q?" The older woman asked, glaring at the brunette when the girl continued her approach.

"We made it work." Santana said with a shrug, Quinn could tell she was on the edge of responding to the older woman's jibe but was handling herself well.

She frowned but nodded, "Start your stretches, Lopez. And don't let those melons get in the way, _full_ stretches." She instructed, pointedly glaring at Quinn's chest before moving her attention back to the blonde.

Quinn crinkled her nose and glanced down at her chest before starting her first stretch without giving the woman the satisfaction of an argument.

Within the next fifteen minutes the rest of the Cheerios arrived and joined her in their normal AM stretching routine.

Quinn felt her throat tighten as more and more bodies moved into the space around her. Her discomfort from the car returned and with it came a wicked blush.

Her body hummed and jumped with excitement when the lean muscled arms of Brittany wrapped around her torso. "G'morning." The blonde breathed, nuzzling against the tender flesh at the back of her neck.

"Hey." Quinn responded lamely, trying to hide the panic from her voice.

Brittany giggled and retracted her touch, leaving a burning sensation in its wake.

"I miss you." The blonde whispered with a cheeky wink, Quinn squirmed at the look the taller girl was giving her.

The expression shifted suddenly into one of almost shy hesitance, "Sorry I got you all excited while you were on the phone with your Abola..."

Quinn wanted to correct her but she was too embarrassed to do so. The brunette nodded and the conversation fell quiet between the two of them. Santana and Sue were still going over their practice for the morning but their coach was keeping a close eye on them as they warmed up.

The brunette bit her lip and managed to finish the rest of her stretching without incident.

"Come on you lazy sacks of estrogen, laps, _now_!" Sue barked out over her megaphone.

Santana was at the head of the pack, yelling out insults as encouragement. Quinn smiled slightly at the familiar biting words. Santana was doing a good job keeping her own usual insults from slipping in.

Her eyes moved down her old body's form appreciatively, amazed that even after having a baby her body looked better than most of the Cheerios between herself and Santana. she shook her head, clamping her eyes shut after having stared at the blonde's ass.

 _'Did I just check myself out? This is getting out of hand...'_ The brunette thought, panting slightly as she tried to clear away any lingering perverted thoughts.

She jumped slightly when Brittany spoke up from beside her, "Q is so grumpy today... I think you were right about her needing to get her lady kisses on." The blonde said absently, she was barely out of breath despite easily keeping up with the brunette.

Quinn's eyes flashed toward Brittany but the blonde was still looking forward, her eyes trained on their captain.  
"I wonder if her vagina is still stretched from the baby?"

Quinn stumbled on the turf beneath her sneakers, " _Britt!_ "

"Hmm?" The taller girl asked, blinking as she glanced toward the brunette.

"Is now really the time to talk about _that_?" Quinn snapped, _'Is the time ever appropriate to talk about that?'_ a voice asked somewhere in the back of her mind. The shorter girl scanned the faces of the girls around them, they all seemed too focused on their running or personal conversations to have overheard.

"Why not?" Brittany asked innocently as if similar topics were a normal thing for her and Santana to discuss during practice. The blonde's face went blank for a moment before scrunching up in thought.

Quinn felt her anger dissipate slightly, Santana's body relaxing at what she knew the other girl thought to be an adorable expression.

"I bet you could fit your whole-"

"Oh, my, God." Quinn groaned, blocking out the rest as she slowed to a stop. One of the other girls let out a surprised squeak as she bumped into the brunette and glared as she made her way passed.

"Slopez! What do you think you're doing?" Sue yelled, her tone dangerous. "Did one of your silicone mountains catch you in the chin or something? Move it!"

xxx

Quinn stood by Santana's locker getting her books and notebooks for class.

The brunette stiffened when a heavy and muscular arm wrapped around her shoulders.

"Hey babe, why'd you blow me off last night?" Puck asked, leaning against the lockers beside her open one.

She shrugged his arm away and narrowed her eyes. She appreciated the fact that even though her body was overly sensitive at the moment it seemed repulsed by the boy's presence. "Back off Puck."

"Why're you being such a bitch?" He grumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Me not wanting you makes me a bitch? There are better reasons, _pig_." She spat, slamming her locker shut.

She moved to walk away but Puck caught her by the arm and twisted her back around to face him.

"You heard her, Puckerman. Back off." Santana said as she pushed her hand roughly into his chest, forcing him back against the row of lockers.

"You, too? What's with all the sass ladies?" He asked, releasing Quinn to rub at his chest.

"Leave." Santana said firmly, fixing him with a glare.

" _Crazy Quinn..._ " Puck muttered under his breath as he walked away from the girls.

"You okay?" Santana asked softly, her eyes moving back to meet Quinn's after watching Puck to make sure he retreated completely.

"Yeah, thanks." Quinn said, flashing the blonde a smile.

"I mean beyond Puck, Q." Santana whispered, leaning in slightly.

The brunette looked up into familiar hazel eyes, "Yes." She lied, keeping her voice even.

Santana studied her closely for a moment longer before the shorter girl turned away and started walking toward their first class.

xxx

Quinn rubbed her temples deeply and heaved a sigh. The teacher was mumbling something in a monotone voice up by the board.

She and the rest of the class were relieved when the bell cut the teacher off before he could assign any homework.

Quinn collected her things quickly and made her way out of the room and into the hallway.

Santana's body was driving her insane. If anything similar had happened with her own body, she would have been able to will it away.

Anytime she brushed up against a girl, the feeling would flare back up in intensity.

Quinn's teeth worried her lip as she tried her best to not brush up against anyone on the way to her next class. It was as if people could sense something was off, almost as if they knew she wasn't really Santana.

The bodies crammed into the narrow hallway didn't part the way for her like they normally would and glares and low muttering often followed after the brief physical contact if it was made. Maybe it was also the fact that Santana had been demoted to the bottom of the pyramid, but Quinn's paranoia made her think otherwise.

She glanced toward her destination, eyes hesitating slightly on the new quarterback, Sam Evans.

She slowed, almost to a stop before heading toward the blonde boy. "Hey, you're Sam, right?"

The boy paused in the conversation he was having with one of his teammates, "Yeah, that's me." He gave her a once over before flashing a goofy, lopsided smile. "You're Santana, right?"

She nodded, flashing him a small smile of her own. "Quarter back, huh? You move quick, blondie." She said, trying to sound as much like Santana as possible.

Sam chuckled and rubbed at the back of his neck, "Yeah, I guess so."

She placed a hand on his forearm, waiting to see how her own body would respond to being so close to him. "Well, the jacket looks good on you, Evans. I'll be cheering for you." She said with a wink before heading for her class.

Quinn quickly took her seat, her brows furrowed. She understood Santana's body not responding to Puck but why would it be unresponsive to Sam? He was cute, seemed nice, was athletic and was now on top of the social ladder. Maybe it was too soon, maybe the other girl hadn't interacted with him enough yet.

She scoffed at the idea and shook her head, Santana had a knack for judging people pretty quickly.

"Hey, did I see you talking to that new guy?" Santana asked as she slipped into the seat beside Quinn.

The brunette nodded, "Yeah, just wanted to say hi. Sorry."

"It's okay, I was just wondering. He's cute." The blonde said, wiggling her eyebrows. "Just no funny business in my body, Q. I don't want to come back to a bun in the oven."

Quinn nodded slowly, her eyes flashing up to meet Santana's by the end. "Really?"

"Yes, really. I slept with Puck plenty of times and didn't wind up knocked up."

Quinn rolled her eyes, the bell rang, cutting their conversation short.

The rest of the day seemed to drag on slowly for Quinn, Glee club was mostly uneventful. Sunshine had decided to go another direction and Sam was still wary of joining for his own reasons.

Quinn couldn't help but notice that Santana's body either responded negatively or not at all to the guys they knew.

By the time school was over and the girls were getting ready to start practice, Quinn was beyond confused.

Her testing throughout the day and focusing on boys had distracted her body for a while. Being back on the field, being surrounded by her fellow Cheerios she found the discomfort had come back full force.

She managed to make her way through practice without annoying Sue too badly.

She sighed, dragging her feet as she made her way to the locker room.

"C'mon, Q!" Santana whispered, "I want to get home." The blonde tightened her grip on her towel before moving toward the showers.

Quinn gulped, closing her eyes to avoid the temptation to look at the girls around her. _'What is going on?'_

She quickly removed her uniform, shoving it into her duffel before grabbing her own towel.

She ignored the excitement humming through her body as she bee-lined toward the showers. The sooner she got this over with, the better.

xxx

"God Q, relax, would you?" Santana muttered from the passenger seat, her feet kicked up on the dash.

"Can't, I want my body back." The brunette bit back, taking another sharp turn.

"Shit!" Santana squeaked, bringing her feet down to the floor and grasping the door firmly. "Quinn."

The shorter girl ignored her, jaw set and eyes locked on the road.

"Quinn." Santana tried again, her voice softer.

Quinn jumped as Santana's hand gripped her thigh down by her knee. Her eyes flashed toward Santana's before moving back to the road.

A gasp broke passed her lips when the blonde flexed her hand, "Still?" She asked, the amusement obvious in her voice.

Her hand slid a little higher on Quinn's thigh making the brunette's breath hitch.

"Stop it, Santana." Quinn warned, her tone dangerous.

"Why, Q?" Santana asked cheekily, sliding her hand up a little higher before Quinn's clamped down on her own.

"Stop."

Santana huffed and retracted her hand, "You're no fun, Q."

The rest of the drive passed in silence and as soon as the car was in park the two rushed to get inside.

"Got my fortune?" Quinn asked, Santana nodded.

"Yeah, here. Let me get mine." She pulled open the top drawer of her desk and dug around for a moment before straightening up.

"You were going to keep it?" Quinn asked in an amused tone, Santana crossed her arms over her chest.

"So?" She asked, her eyes narrowed into a sheepish glare.

Quinn shrugged, "Whatever, let's get this over with."

"Do we just say it again or...?" Santana asked, stepping closer.

"I don't know." Quinn said with a frown, "It can't hurt to try."

They read the fortune again after a small count down but nothing happened.

"What the hell?!" Santana cried in frustration, Quinn sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"Maybe... Its not reading the fortune again but fulfilling it?" She asked, reading it again to herself.

"So, 'selfless love' will set us free?" Santana asked, crinkling her nose.

Quinn nodded, "I think so. It's like a lesson, something we have to learn, _together_." She said, raising her dark eyes to meet the blonde's.

"Couldn't girl Chang have just kept her nose out of our business?" Santana asked as she sat down on her bed.

Quinn made a small noise of agreement in the back of her throat, settling herself on the bed next to the blonde.

Santana flopped back onto her back with a huff and stared at the ceiling.

Quinn stared at her for a moment before Santana's phone let out a loud beep, signalling a new text.

Quinn quickly grabbed the device out of the pocket of her sweats, "It's Brittany."

Santana remained still, "You're me, remember? _You_ read it." She said, her voice listless.

Quinn rolled her eyes and opened the message, crinkling her nose as she read it.

 **_Britt:_ ** _hey, quinn isnt answering her phone... can u ask her what the butter/crisco ratio is for her new shampoo?  
_

Quinn read it again, squinting at the letters as she did.

"What did she say?" Santana asked, pushing up on her elbows.

"Did you shower today, Santana?"

The blonde's eyes widened slightly before hardening into a glare. "Of course, _Quinn_. What are you trying to say?"

Quinn frowned, shoving the phone back in her pocket before leaning in closer to the other girl. "My hair isn't wet."

"I just did a quick rinse, God Q! Who are you, my mother?!" Santana asked, jumping to her feet quickly.

Quinn popped up beside her and grabbed a hold of the blonde's ponytail before she could move away.

" _Santana_!" She gasped, releasing the greasy hair quickly. "You haven't properly showered since we switched, have you?"

The taller girl paled visibly, "No, I totally have... I-"

"Don't lie to me, Lopez. Why?"

Santana looked away, biting her lip. "It doesn't feel right... It's weird, okay, Q?"

"Santana..."

"No, I felt like some kind of pervert when I tried the first time! The only reason anyone has touched this body other than you is because they got you _drunk_! I just-"

Quinn stepped forward, closing the distance between them. "Santana, it's okay."

"No Quinn, it's not." Santana said, shaking her head as she looked away again.

Quinn remained silent for a moment before gently taking her friend's hand, "Come with me, San."

Santana shot her a look somewhere between incredulous and terrified. "You're going to _force_ me to shower, aren't you?"

The brunette nodded, chuckling at how ridiculous it sounded. "You have to keep my body clean, please?" She asked in a soft voice, tugging the blonde toward the bathroom.

Santana's teeth worried her lip and she glanced between Quinn and the bathroom before finally hanging her head in defeat and allowing the shorter girl to lead her toward the bathroom.

"Strip." Quinn said firmly, taking a seat on the toilet as Santana flicked on the fan.

Santana quirked a brow, "Yes ma'am, you sure you don't want to take them off for me?" She asked sarcastically, waving her hands toward her clothing.

Quinn rolled her eyes and didn't bother with responding, the brunette turned her eyes way to give Santana some privacy.

She didn't look back up until the water was started and the curtain was pulled closed.

Santana let out a deeply frustrated whine from behind the barrier and grabbed the shampoo as the warm water washed over her body.

"You okay in there?" Quinn asked, raising her voice so that the blonde could hear her over the running water.

"Shut up." Santana groaned, grabbing her body wash and loofah.

"Just look at the ceiling and pretend that you're in your own body."

"Gee, thanks for the tip, Q." Santana snarked, scrubbing at her arms. "Except for the fact that your body is _nothing_ like mine."

"You're right." Quinn mused, "My breasts don't get in the way."

"No shit, Q. You're like the itty bitty titty committee over here." Santana shot back, scrubbing her torso.

"I've never gotten any complaints." Quinn said, inspecting her nails.

"That's because all of the boys are either scared of you or just want in your pants." Santana grumbled, scrubbing at her back absently before moving on to her lower body.

Quinn studied the pattern in the shower curtain, a question burning on the tip of her tongue. _'What about you?'_ She thought, blinking as the water was shut off.

"There." Santana said, reaching out around the curtain to grab her towel. "Squeaky clean 'lil white girl... Happy, _princess_?"

"Very. Thank you." Quinn said, smiling as the blonde stepped out of the shower.

Santana rolled her eyes, "Thank you for distracting me, bitch."

Quinn shook her head with a smile and watched as Santana reached for a second, smaller towel for her hair.

"Hold on..." The brunette said as she stood up from her seated position, "You've got a little suds here."

Quinn wiped the small bit of soap from just under the blonde's ear, her eyes tracing the familiar jaw line. She tried to ignore how her heart raced at the warm tingling sensation that ran from her fingertips down the length of her arm.

"Thanks, can I get dressed now?" Santana asked with a small smile, Quinn blinked and nodded.

She stood still for a moment before following Santana into the bedroom, where she took a seat on the bed.

"Hey, you said I could talk to you... About this. Right?"

Santana blinked in surprise but nodded, "Of course, Q."

Quinn lowered her eyes, her teeth worrying her lip as Santana pulled on her WMHS sweat pants.

"Do you..." She fell quiet, the indecisiveness evident in her features.

"Do I what?" Santana asked, pausing with her shirt crinkled up on her arms before tugging it over her head.

"San, are you... Are you, gay?" Quinn asked softly, raising her eyes to meet the blonde's.

She saw panic flash through the taller girl's eyes but it was pushed aside quickly. "Why? Because I like getting my mack on with Brittany? That doesn't make me gay, Q."

Quinn contemplated dropping it there but there was too much happening with her body to ignore it.

"Your body... It doesn't react the same way with boys as it does with girls, Santana."

Santana stiffened and the fake smile disappeared from her face. "What the fuck would you know, Quinn? You've been in my body for what, four days? You don't know what it means to be me."

"I'm not trying to judge you, Santana. There's nothing wrong-"

"No, that's bullshit. Good little Christian girls aren't friends with gays. But that doesn't matter Quinn, you have plenty of other reasons to not like me. My sexuality isn't part of that equation, I'm _not_ gay."

Quinn rose slowly from the bed, "I can feel it, you don't have to lie... It won't make me think any different of you, I promise." Her shoulders relaxed slightly as Santana's eyes got glassy but the other girl was shaking her head a second later.

"The same way I can feel your little _crush_ on me, Quinn?" The blonde bit back, her hands clenching at her sides.

Fear shot through Quinn, her stomach twisting with shame as her cheeks flushed a shade darker. "W-what?" She squeaked, a smirk tugged at Santana's lips.

"You've got a big ole crush on me, not that I blame you." She said, raking her eyes down her own body suggestively. "I wasn't going to bring it up... But since we're trying to shed some light on _closet cases_..."

"Shut up!" Quinn cried, "You don't know what you're talking about!"

Santana leaned against her desk chair smugly, "Then drop it."

"I can't drop it, Santana. I can _feel_ it and I won't be able to drop it until we're back to normal!"

Santana's face hardened into a scowl, "I think I should go. You need to get over yourself and drop this. I don't care how you do it, just do it."

Quinn took in a deep, shuddering breath but otherwise remained silent as she watched Santana get her stuff together.

Her eyes burned as she watched the blonde leave the room, a single tear ran down her cheek as the front door slammed shut downstairs.

xxx

As soon as she set foot in the Fabray home Santana bee-lined for Quinn's room, she paused halfway up the steps at the sound of Judy's voice.  
"Quinnie? I thought you were staying at a friends, is everything alright?" The older blonde asked as she made her way down the hallway toward the steps.

Santana sighed, "Yes mom, I'm not feeling well so I decided to come home." She lied, gripping the bannister as she waited for the older woman's reply.

"Alright dear, go lay down. If you're hungry later there will be food for you in the fridge." Judy said, flashing Santana a warm smile before turning back toward the kitchen.

Santana drew her curtains closed and flopped down on the bed, tugging out her phone. She stared at it for a moment before tossing it onto the nightstand.

"Fucking Fabray." She huffed, tugging the sheets up around her and nuzzling into her friend's pillow.

xxx

Quinn groaned and her eyes fluttered open as the bed dipped down next to her. "Santana?" She asked, her voice still rough with sleep.

"Mhmm." The other girl murmured, moving closer.

Quinn remained still, waking up a little more as the minutes passed.

"Your mom was driving me insane earlier." Santana grumbled, "And I missed my bed."

Quinn crinkled her nose, Santana sounded... Different. Steeling her resolve, she rolled over to face her friend and gasped when she found her in the darkness.

"Santana, you're you!" She gasped, sitting up slightly to look over her own body.

The brunette chuckled, "Nice of you to notice, Q."

Quinn couldn't help but smile giddily in response, catching her bottom lip between her teeth. She reached out her hand tentatively until her palm grazed a tan cheek.

Santana stiffened at the initial contact but leaned into it after a moment. Quinn's pulse picked up and she leaned forward instinctively.

"Q... Your gay is showing." Santana whispered, although her words were missing their earlier malice.

"Shut up." Quinn breathed playfully before pressing her lips to the brunette's.

Santana smiled into the kiss, her hand sliding along Quinn's neck before tangling in her hair.

The blonde gasped when Santana's lips parted and her tongue slid lazily against Quinn's bottom lip.

Santana angled the blonde's head toward her before deepening the kiss. She rumbled out a chuckle when Quinn whimpered and pressed her body closer.

xxx

Quinn sat up and blinked against the harsh light coming from the hallway. She stumbled free of the dark sheets wrapped around her legs, "Hello?"

A small rusting sound came from Santana's parents room, "Oh, mija, I didn't mean to wake you!" Maribel gasped as she emerged from her bedroom.

Quinn remained silent for a moment, she rubbed at her eyes before finally speaking up. "It's okay."

Maribel squinted and took a step closer, "Santana, are you alright? Have you been crying?" The smaller woman asked, her finger's brushing against Quinn's forearm.

"I'm fine, mami." Quinn lied, glancing at the floor.

"Santana Diabla Lopez, do not lie to your mother. What's wrong, mija?"

Quinn couldn't help but crack a smile at the older woman, "It's nothing, really. I just got into an argument with Quinn..."

Maribel frowned and clucked her tongue disapprovingly, "Oh, mija. You two love each other, why are you always fighting? You never fight with Brittany..."

Quinn fidgeted and shifted her weight uncomfortably, "I don't know." She said honestly.

The older woman studied her closely for a moment, "Well, we're having her over for dinner and you two are going to make up. I miss that one, she's a good influence on you... When you're not at each others throats."

Quinn's throat tightened at Maribel's words, she couldn't help but tear up again.

"Come here, mija." The older woman breathed, pulling her into a tight and soothing embrace. "I'll be home more soon, I promise." She whispered against Quinn's neck, squeezing her tighter before letting go.

"Now, you get back to bed. You look a mess." Maribel scolded playfully, brushing a tear away from her daughter's cheek.

Quinn giggled softly, "Yes mami, I love you."

"I love you too, mija. I'll see you in the morning."

Quinn turned and headed back into Santana's bedroom, she slid under the covers before glancing toward the phone on the nightstand. She slid her hand across the screen, bringing it to life with a burst of light. No new messages.


	4. Chapter 4

She knew Santana would most likely not pick her up Wednesday morning but it had still irked her to have to text Puck for a ride.

Quinn glared at the boy as she made her way around the vehicle, he was looking at her expectantly.

"Don't even start." She warned as she stormed passed him and toward the school.

Quinn was on her way to her locker when she saw Santana talking to Brittany. The taller blonde waved excitedly and tried to make her way over but Santana stopped her.

Brittany frowned for a moment until Santana said something to her with a wide grin, the taller blonde returned the expression before the two made their way down the hall together.

Quinn felt her stomach twist with jealousy, she wasn't sure if it was her or her body or even who she was feeling it for.

Santana avoided her for the rest of the day unless it was absolutely necessary to do otherwise.

Quinn decided she had had enough by the time Glee club rolled around. Mr. Schue and Rachel were bickering about something when she spoke up suddenly, startling everyone around her.

"I want to sing. I heard this song the other day and I just feel like its _me_." She said, pressing her hand over her chest dramatically.

She grinned when she heard Santana shift uncomfortably behind her and it only widened when Mr. Schue nodded his approval.

Rachel crossed her arms over her chest with a huff and Quinn rolled her eyes. "Chill, Dwarf. I actually mean it represents _me_ and am not insulting how frequently you serenade yourself."

Quinn smirked as she turned just in time to see Rachel's shocked expression, it felt good to be Santana's brand of bitchy sometimes.

"What's the song?" Mr. Schue asked, hoping to diffuse the tension as he looked warily between the two girls.

"Its... Newish, and a surprise." Quinn said, her eyes meeting Santana's pointedly over the heads of their classmates.

Quinn cleared her throat and began tapping her hand against her thigh, hoping that she could adjust quickly to her foreign vocal chords in order to do the song justice.

She started off a little quiet, her confidence growing as she went.

x

  
_I've got a way of making everything a confrontation_  
And you've got a way of bringing out the worst in me  
You see, it's just if I'm bored  
I'll find a way to make an accusation  
I've got a problem with more  
So give me, give me everything

_STOP!_

x

She cracked her eyes open, grinning at the way that most of the people watching seemed to be caught up in the beat she had set.

Santana was scowling, her jaw set firmly. Her eyes flicked between Quinn and the dancing Brittany in the row of seats below her own.

x

  
_Not my fault, not at all_   
_I can't help you, what you want_   
_Get in line take a number_   
_Get you when my song is over_   
_If you leave it up to me I'll make a lie out of truth (it's true)_   


x

Quinn watched the tendon in Santana's neck stand out from the corner of her eye as she made a come hither motion to Brittany, the blonde was up in seconds and joining her to dance.

x

  
_And then I'll break it up, make it bleed_   
_Tell you that it's you not me_   
_Make a scene, at a show just because the wind blows_   
_Shoot myself in the foot to make a point I can't prove_   
_To get it back to you_   
_That's just my signature move_   


x

Quinn laughed, complimenting Brittany's moves with her own and casting quick glances toward the chairs to make sure Santana was still watching. It was obvious the other girl was angry, her jaw was still set and her cheeks and neck were flushed red.

x

  
_You call me crazy and I think it's mean, I just don't like it_   
_I'm just a sensitive baby and you need to please me right_   
_You know I said I would change_   
_I did, I went and tried a different outfit_   
_And if that's not enough you won't be riding dirty tonight_   


_STOP!_

x

Quinn rolled her eyes as she saw Puck perk up at the last line, he was grinning smugly now. Thinking that the song was some twisted performance for him, Santana's brow had also quirked at the line.

Quinn was also mildly amused to find that Santana's foot was tapping in time with the beat that she and Brittany had set with their dancing and singing.

x

  
_I start fights in my dreams I think I kick off the sheets_  
I don't apologize, they wouldn't see it in my eyes  
 _I'm not a good best friend_  
 _If there's a rule I will bend_  
 _That makes it trouble for you_  
 _It's all I know how to do_  
 _I'm not responsib...STOP!_  
 _Ha-ha...yup!_  


x

Quinn spun Brittany as she made her way into the final round of the chorus, the blonde giggled and allowed the brunette to dip her. Mr. Schue shook his head, amusement coloring his features.

Quinn smiled as the Glee kids clapped at the end of her performance. They seemed to have enjoyed it but also seemed a little confused by the impromptu solo.

The rest of the period was spent listening to Mr Schue blathering on about brainstorming what performances they would like to do for the end of the week.

Quinn slid out of the room, pinky-linked with Brittany at the end of the period. She fought down a grin when Santana approached, the shorter blond flashing Brittany a fake smile. "I need to borrow _Santana_ for a moment."

Brittany looked between the two before slowly retracting her hand from Quinn's. "Okay! I'll see you guys at practice!"

Santana wasted no time pulling the brunette into the closest bathroom, the door had barely closed when the taller girl turned on her. "What the hell was _that_?" She asked, her voice bordering shrill.

"The truth." Quinn offered with a shrug, Santana narrowed her eyes. "Actually, I think the song fits both of us."

Santana relaxed slightly at this, her eyes curious but still guarded.

Quinn worried her lip, "We do have a knack for bringing out the worst in each other... And I haven't been a good best friend to you... If you," She paused, taking a deep, steadying breath. "If you don't want to continue our talk from yesterday then we won't."

The brunette raised her eyes to meet the ones watching her closely, the blonde's expression gave her no hints to what she was thinking.

Santana's lips tugged into a smile suddenly, "That was a pretty good song choice, I didn't know you were a Pink fan."

"There's a lot you don't know about me." The brunette replied with a wink.

Santana shook her head with a chuckle as she followed Quinn back into the hallway, "Oh, you are coming over tonight." The shorter girl blurted out suddenly.

"Say what?" Santana said, slowing to a stop.

"Momma Lopez's orders, she wants us to stop fighting."

The blonde's eyes widened, "My mom is home and you didn't tell me?" She gasped, pushing Quinn playfully.

"She got in late last night and you've been avoiding me all day."

"Fair enough." Santana said with a sigh.

"Is that a yes?" The brunette asked, the taller girl nodded. "Good."

xxx

The rest of the day passed quickly for the two girls, practice was tiring but went smoothly.

Quinn sighed, rubbing at her neck as she stepped out onto the Lopez's driveway. "Where's your mom?"

Santana shrugged, "Knowing her she probably went to the store... Why didn't she give you a ride this morning?" The blonde asked as they grabbed their bags.

"I didn't want to bug her..."

Santana rolled her eyes and slammed the door shut, she stopped toward the front of the car. "What are you doing?"

Quinn ignored her and knelt down, "Hello, who are you?"

Santana quirked a brow at the gentle tone in her voice before making the rest of the way around the car. "Oh."

The blonde stopped when she saw Quinn kneeling down in front of her neighbor's toddler, Sarah.

The tiny blonde had her nose scrunched up adorably, confused by the greeting. (She was used to a gruff, "Hey kid.")

Santana had meant to correct the brunette but the words had dried up in her throat. A bizarre emptiness had seeped into her abdomen and a weight settled on her chest. Her hand came up instinctively to catch at the front of her hoodie.

"Who's that?" The little girl asked suddenly, pointing at Santana.

"That's my friend, Quinn." The brunette replied, her brow furrowing slightly when she noticed the other girl's expression.

"Sarah? Where are you?!" The two girls looked up as Sarah's frantic mother peeked over toward the Lopez's yard. "Oh, thank goodness! Hello, Santana."

"Hello." Quinn said, standing to greet the older woman.

"If we ever need a babysitter, you're the girl I'm going to call. I still can't get over how much she likes you." The mother said with a smile as she scooped up the little girl.

Quinn's smile widened and she glanced over toward Santana, "Yeah, I just have a way with kids I guess."

Sarah's mother chuckled and waved to Mrs. Lopez as she pulled into the driveway and parked beside Quinn's Beetle.

"Oh mija, that little girl just can't get enough of you, can she?" Maribel tutted playfully as she grabbed her grocery bags from the back seat. She paused when she noticed Santana staring wide eyed at the back of the retreating mother and her child. Nodding her head toward the blonde, Maribel shot Quinn a questioning look.

Quinn moved closer to the older woman, she adjusted the strap of her duffel before taking some of the groceries. "Her baby." She whispered, eyes lowering to the new position Santana's arms had taken. They were wrapped protectively over her stomach, resting just below where the baby bump used to be.

Maribel gave a nod and shot the blonde a small, sympathetic smile. "After you drop those off in the kitchen, you make sure she's okay, mija. What Quinn did took a lot of courage, she may need to be reminded. She may need a _friend_." The older brunette whispered softly, giving her daughter a pointed look.

Quinn's chest and throat tightened and she fought off the burning sensation that prickled at her eyes. "Yes mami." She whispered, her gaze shifting back toward Santana. She missed the lingering look Maribel gave her and the slight crease to the woman's brow as she looked between the two of them before disappearing inside.

Quinn waited until Maribel made her way inside before moving closer to Santana, "You okay?"

Santana blinked, her eyes moving slowly to meet the brown ones watching her closely. She shook her head, her bottom lip trembling as her arms tightened over her torso.

Quinn placed a gentle hand on the taller girl's bicep, "Come on, we can talk about it inside."

Santana gave a weak nod and allowed the brunette to lead her into the house. "I'll be up in a second." Quinn promised, leaving Santana to make her way up to her room on her own.

The blonde moved slowly, unshed tears blurring her vision as she pushed the door to her room open. She never realized before just how dark her room really was. At the moment, it was _too_ dark. She dropped her bags to the floor before throwing herself down on the bed with a sob.

Quinn paused in the doorway, her heart clenched a the sound of Santana crying.

"Hey, come here." She said softly as she took a seat on the bed next to the blonde.

"It hurts..." Santana croaked, moving closer but keeping her face hidden from view.

"Shh. It's okay." Quinn said, pulling out the other girl's hair-tie so that she could run her fingers through her hair gently.

"I feel so empty and _alone_..." The blonde mumbled, nuzzling closer to the brunette with a whimper.

"You're not alone, you're _never_ alone okay? I'm here. It will pass..."

"How do you deal with this, Q?" Santana asked, raising her head with a sniffle.

"It took a while..." Quinn said, playing absently with a lock of Santana's hair.

The blonde stared at her silently, watching as sadness crept across her features. "I'm sorry."

Quinn blinked and raised her eyes to meet Santana's. "Why? For once I am getting a break from feeling like that..."

"No, for not being there when you needed me." Santana corrected gently, seeking out Quinn's hand before squeezing it.

Quinn squeezed back, remaining silent for a moment before giving a small chuckle.

"What?" Santana asked, the brunette shook her head.

"Its just... I think I've heard you apologize more this week than the entire time we've known each other."

Santana rolled her eyes, "Way to ruin the moment, Q. No more apologies for you." Santana tutted as she rose slowly from the bed, Quinn gasped in mock horror.

"How ever will I survive?" She said, moving to follow with a playful roll of her eyes.

xxx

"Dinner girls!" Maribel cried from the base of the stairs, she smiled warmly as they began their descent. She could tell that the blonde had been crying but she was smiling as she came down the steps behind her daughter.

"Smells amazing." Santana said as she made her way into the dining room. Quinn nodded her head in agreement as they took their seats. Maribel thanked them before quickly dishing out their food.

"Your father would normally insist that we say a prayer but I am starved. What he doesn't know won't hurt him." The older brunette said with a wink, the girls exchanged smiles and chuckled in response.

Santana cut a large portion of her enchilada with the side of her fork, making sure to get plenty of her mother's spicy red sauce with the first bite.

Quinn and Maribel looked up startled when the blonde sputtered and coughed, reaching for her drink.

"Careful, that one is spicy." Maribel said, amusement coloring her voice as she watched the girl's pale neck flush.

Santana narrowed her eyes in Quinn's direction, "Yeah, it definitely is. It is good though." She added quickly, her eyes flicking back toward her mother.

"Thank you, I'm sorry there was no warning. We all sort of have a tolerance for it... And it has been a while since we've had you over for dinner, I couldn't remember if you liked spicy or not."

Quinn watched them and ate in silence, grateful for the tolerance her own body had for the food. She had always liked Maribel's cooking but it didn't agree as much with her body. She frowned and shot Santana a sympathetic smile. _'If she thinks it is bad now I can't wait to see how she's feeling later...'_

Maribel arched a brow when she noticed the way her daughter was looking at the blonde. She watched them quietly for the rest of the meal, only adding to the conversation occasionally to ask Quinn about herself.

When dinner was finished, Quinn and Santana helped gather the dishes.

Quinn paused when the blonde caught her arm, "Hey, you need to be careful." Santana whispered, glancing toward the sink where her mother was.

"Why?" Quinn asked as they made their way back into the dining room.

"Mom was watching you for most of dinner, you need to adjust your attitude."

"Oh, okay." Quinn said, following Santana back into the kitchen with the rest of the dishes.

"Thank you girls, why don't you go finish your homework?" Maribel said, smiling over her shoulder.

Santana smiled back, "Thank you for dinner, Mrs. Lopez."

"Oh, please Quinn. Call me Maribel!"

Quinn smirked, "Come on Barbie, let's go upstairs."

xxx

Santana groaned, clutching her stomach and squirming in discomfort. "God, I hope this medicine kicks in soon."

"Sorry, Daddy isn't fond of spicy." She said, peering over her notebook.

"Of course he isn't, bastard." The blonde muttered, earning herself a light smack from Quinn.

"What? He kicked you out, your mother almost _divorced_ him. Clearly I'm not the only one who feels that way about him."

"He's my father." Quinn said, although her voice was small.

Santana stared at her for a moment before looking away, grumbling something in Spanish.

"I was supposed to go with Puck to see Beth this weekend." Quinn said suddenly, her voice still small and reserved.

Santana sat up slightly, "Supposed to? As in you aren't going to?" She asked, one eyebrow arched slightly above the other.

"We're both scared, he's more excited than I am... But he said he didn't want to go without me. He _can_ be a good guy, sometimes."

Santana played with the comforter, a small crease worrying her brow. "You should go. When are you supposed to?" She asked softly, without looking up.

"Saturday afternoon, why?"

"Shit!" Santana exclaimed, sitting up completely. "Shit, shit, _shit_!"

"What?" Quinn asked, alarmed by the sudden out burst.

"I was going to offer to go with you..." She said, shaking her head. "But... I have- Er, _had_ plans."

"What were they?" Quinn asked, worried by the other girl's expression.

"I had a date..." Santana mumbled, running a hand through her hair.

"With who?" Quinn asked, leaning in closer to the blonde.

"With Brittany." Santana said quietly, her arm falling back to her lap.

"Oh." Quinn said, lowering her eyes to the floor. She wanted to ask so many questions but after their conversation earlier, she knew that she couldn't.

The two sat in an awkward silence for a few minutes before Santana heaved a heavy sigh.

"I'll go with you, Quinn." She said, placing her hand on her friend's knee.

Quinn's heart fluttered at the offer and she covered the blonde's hand with her own. "Thank you, Santana."

"No problem, Q." Santana said, squeezing slightly before flashing the other girl a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

xxx

Quinn groaned and tried to roll over but the arm wrapped around her torso kept her firmly in place.

"San..." She husked, voice thick with sleep.

Santana cuddled closer, her nose brushing the sensitive flesh beneath Quinn's ear.

"Shut up, Q." The other girl said, her warm breath sending a shiver down Quinn's spine.

The blonde clenched her legs together, dimly recognizing that Santana was once again in her normal body.

Quinn's eyes widened and a small moan escaped her when the brunette's lips brushed against her neck.

She squirmed more as Santana continued, the girl cheekily smiled as she pressed her lips more firmly to the blonde's skin.

"Quinn." The girl rasped, right by her ear.

The blonde merely whimpered in response, her breath hitching as Santana slipped a leg between her own.

The brunette chuckled and ground her hips down onto Quinn's thigh, a small sigh escaping her at the contact.

"Quinn." The girl gasped, her eyes fluttered open. "Hey, you were having a bad dream." Santana said, the blonde was leaning over her.

"You're going to need to flip over your pillow too, you're covered in sweat." She said, her nose crinkled slightly as she swept some hair from Quinn's forehead.

The brunette blushed and turned away from the touch. "It wasn't a nightmare." She mumbled as she flipped her pillow over, Santana cocked her head to the side.

"Hmm?" She remained quiet for a moment before chuckling loudly, "Oh! Wanky."

"Shut up." Quinn said, kicking off her sweat pants and rolling over with a huff.

"Oh, man Quinn. You don't even know a good time when your own mind concocts it! Who was in it, huh?" She asked, cuddling closer cheekily.

"No one." She snapped, her body shivering involuntarily as Santana's arm wrapped around her torso.


	5. Chapter 5

"Girls, I made breakfast!" Maribel said as she pushed open the door to her daughter's bedroom.

The older woman paused in the doorway, one brow arched above the other. Her eyes traced the tangled limbs that were caught up in the dark sheets.

Without a word, Maribel made her way over to the window and drew back the curtains. She chuckled when the two girls whined as the room was flooded with light.

"Come on, get up. Your breakfast is getting cold." She paused by the doorway, smiling ast the blonde blinked up her sleepily. "I even picked up some bacon for you, Quinn."

She shook her head as the younger brunette shot up next to her sleepy friend.

The two girls exchanged looks when the older woman finally left the room.

"How did you sleep?" Quinn asked softly, running her hand through her unkept hair.

"Fine." Santana mumbled, moving to get up. Shortly after she had woken Quinn up she had managed to fall asleep cuddled up to the brunette.

Her dreams had been haunted by Sarah's innocent face and the emptiness from earlier had crept back into her chest.

_A sob had ripped from the brunette's throat as she shot up in bed. Her body trembled and her chest heaved, "Santana?"_

_She sucked in a deep breath as Quinn stirred beside her, "Are you okay?" The brunette asked, sitting up slightly._

_"Yes." The blonde answered, almost too quickly._

_"San..." Quinn whispered, shifting closer to the other girl._

_"Don't worry about it, Q. Just go back to sleep."_

_The brunette wanted to argue but she instead begrudgingly complied. She slept soundly for an hour or so before she woke again, the body next to her wracked with sobs._

_Santana shifted slightly as Quinn's body moved closer to her own, "Come here." The brunette whispered softly, Santana complied after a moment of hesitation. She twisted around in the brunette's arms before burying her face into the crook of the other girl's neck._

_Quinn sighed and held the crying girl closer, "You're alright, I'm here."_

"Thanks." Santana said quickly, turning away to hide her blush. The brunette blinked before a small smile tugged at her lips, "You're welcome." She said, moving to get dressed.

The two got ready quickly before heading downstairs, bags in hand.

The two settled in at the dining room table where Maribel was already seated and reading her newspaper quietly.

Quinn immediately reached for a crispy slice of bacon but her excitement was short lived. Her nose crinkled as soon as her teeth sunk into the crispy slice of pork.

She shot Santana a glare when the girl snickered from across the table. The blonde snatched up the rest of the bacon from her hand before popping it into her mouth with a smirk.

"Hey!" Quinn cried out of reflex, more annoyed by the fact that Santana's body didn't like her guilty pleasure food.

"Mija, you don't even like bacon." Maribel reminded, glancing over her paper at the two girls.

Quinn huffed but nodded, knowing it was only fair after their meal the night before.

xxx

"Thank you for dinner and breakfast, Maribel." Santana said, flashing her mother a wide smile.

While it was odd referring to her mother by her first name, she was glad to have the opportunity to see her before she left on another business trip.

"You're very welcome, Quinn." The older woman said, wrapping the blonde up into a warm embrace. "It was good to have you. We'll have to do it again soon, okay?"

Santana met Quinn's eyes over the older woman's shoulder before nodding and pulling away. "Yes, that would be nice."

Maribel's face softened, "Okay girls, get moving. I wouldn't want you to be late."

Quinn waved as Santana backed out of the driveway, "Huh, your mom really likes me."

"For some _strange_ reason she does, I'm not sure what she sees in you." She muttered, side eying the brunette playfully.

"I think she mentioned something about me being a _good influence_ on you?" _  
_

The blonde rolled her eyes, "Right. Well, she's definitely not considering your diet with that. Bacon may taste good while I'm in your body but I swear, I can feel it clogging my arteries as we speak."

Quinn shrugged, "You only live once."

"Did you just say yolo?"

The brunette narrowed her eyes, "Don't you start."

The two sat in silence for several minutes before Santana spoke up, almost nervously. "You'll need to talk to Brittany about Saturday, just... Let her down gently, okay?"

Quinn glanced toward her friend, concern clouding her features. "We can still rethink this, you know that, right?"

"What is there to rethink, Q? Beth is your daughter-"

"No, she's Shelby's daughter now." Quinn corrected quickly, her eyes now locked on the scenery passing the passenger side.

"Quinn..." Santana said softly, her eyes flicking toward the brunette. "Did you want to keep her?" She asked softly, the emptiness threatening to return to her chest.

She could see Quinn chewing at her lip, her dark eyes glossy with unshed tears.

"Yes." Quinn said finally, the word escaping as a pained sigh.

"Why didn't you?" Santana asked after a pregnant pause, she nearly jumped when the other girl laughed loudly. The sound was distorted into an almost sob by the emotions that were bubbling at the surface.

"How could I, Santana? I'm still a _child_ , a child who barely knows her own _mother._ " The blonde's heart clenched at the rushed words and her grip tightened on the steering wheel.

"I wouldn't want to put Beth through what I went through... I wouldn't know how to give her anything more." She finished, setting her jaw as tears began to streak down her tanned cheeks.

Santana watched the other girl out of the corner of her eye for a moment before looking back to the road. "It's brave you know, what you did."

Quinn's head turned just slightly but it was enough for Santana to tell that she was listening. "I didn't... I didn't get it at first but my mom explained it to me. And now, being like this..." She motioned toward her body, "I think I understand it even more. I couldn't have done that, Q. I would have been selfish."

Quinn's head had turned even more and Santana could tell that the other girl was examining her profile.

"And you know what else, Q?" She paused but Quinn remained silent. "You will be a great mom, when you're not still a baby yourself."

Quinn managed a soft laugh, wiping quickly at her cheeks. "You think so?"

"Definitely." Santana said, her right hand abandoning the steering wheel to squeeze the other girl's leg.

"Don't tell them I told you... But I think the Cheerio's missed their captain."

Quinn pulled her bottom lip into her mouth, " _All_ of them?" She asked softly, Santana remained silent for a moment but squeezed again.

"All of them." She confirmed, glancing toward the brunette.

Quinn covered Santana's hand with her own, "You know, we always were better _partners_ in crime."

Santana narrowed her eyes but said nothing, Quinn laughed.

"What, you don't want to be co-captain?"

Santana laughed, "Big words coming from the girl at the bottom of the pyramid."

Quinn pursed her lips but her eyes still held mirth to them, "You're enjoying that a little too much."

"Of course, reptilian, remember?" She said with a wink as she pulled into the school parking lot. "I'll see if I can convince Sue, if you make sure to talk to Brittany."

"Deal." Quinn said, giving Santana's hand one more squeeze before they both exited the car.

xxx

Quinn shifted uncomfortably as she waited for the class to come to an end. As soon as the bell rang she made a beeline for the door before heading to the nearest bathroom.

She only had to wait a few minutes before Brittany pushed through the door. "Hey." The blonde said, immediately moving into the brunette's personal space.

Quinn's breath caught in her throat when Brittany backed her up against the wall. "Britt..." She said, her voice weak and uneven.

Brittany pressed her finger to her lips, "I miss you." She said, her voice dripping with sincerity.

The brunette's eyes widened as Brittany leaned closer, pressing their lips together.

Quinn pushed Brittany away gently and tried to keep herself from panicking in front of the other girl.

Brittany brought her hand to the back of the brunette's neck, "I can't wait for Breadstix on Saturday."

Quinn's hear sank at the words, she wrapped her arms loosely around the taller girl, holding her in place. "About that..."

Brittany's expression shifted instantly, a blank look covering her features. "Santana, don't do this..." She said softly, her voice clearly pained.

"I'm sorry Britt, I forgot I had plans with my mom and she just reminded me yesterday when-"

"Don't lie to me!" Brittany warned, her voice rising slightly as she tried to pull away from the brunette.

Quinn's brows furrowed in confusion, "I'm not lying to you Britt, please! Just listen to me!"

Brittany shook her head and finally managed to slip away when Quinn noticed the tears rolling down the blonde's flushed cheeks.

"Brittany..."

"No, I get it Santana." The taller girl said, backing away toward the door.

Quinn watched her leave helplessly, her right hand gripping the nearby sink.

xxx

"How'd it go?" Santana asked, leaning over her cafeteria tray.

Quinn kept her chin angled toward her chest but her eyes moved up to meet the blonde's guiltily.

"Quinn, what happened?" Santana asked worriedly, the other girl pushed her spoon around absently.

"She ran out crying."

"She what? What did you say?!" Santana asked worriedly, reaching to grab the brunette's arm.

"I just told her I forgot about plans with your mother and that she had reminded me when she got home."

"And she said...?"

Quinn averted her eyes, "She..."

"She what, Quinn?"

"She acted like you've done this before, like she got her hopes up only to be let down... Again."

Santana released the brunette and sat back, her expression defeated.

"Santana..."

"No, you're right. _She's_ right." Santana said, self loathing evident in her tone.

"Can I ask what is up with that? I mean, she may want to talk about it and me being clueless isn't going to help anyone..." Quinn asked, expecting the other girl to get defensive again.

The blonde sighed and looked around them quickly, "She wants me to like... Come out."

"I thought you said-"

"I did and I'm not." Quinn pursed her lips but remained silent. "Okay, _fine_. I'm not sure if I am, happy?"

"It's okay to not be sure, Santana."

"Not for Brittany, she wants us to hold hands and frolic through the hallways throwing rainbow confetti or something."

Quinn stifled a chuckle at the thought and the sharp glare from Santana.

"She said she already told her parents about us and expects my family to be just as understanding."

"Her parents are hippies... Of course they're understanding, I think the only thing they dislike is violence and _maybe_ excess clothing."

"Exactly. She doesn't get that my family thinks differently, that our classmates think _differently_. Sure, the jocks think its hot now but that's because they think we only make out at parties for _their_ benefit... I'm doing this for both of us... And like I said, I'm not even sure how I feel about all of it yet." Santana said quietly, Quinn nodded.

"Are you sure you don't want to rethink this?" The brunette asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I could go to Breadstix and you can go with Puck to see Beth..."

"Quinn, you're not getting out of seeing your daughter. I won't let you chicken out, Fabray."

Quinn frowned, teeth worrying her lip. "Yeah, okay."

xxx

Santana watched sadly as Brittany rushed from the choir room, Quinn rubbed her back gently. "Sorry..."

"Do we need another fortune cookie?" Tina asked approaching the two girls, they shot her a glare.

"Sorry, too soon?" The shorter girl asked weakly, she smiled when Mike came up behind her.

"So cool!"

Santana narrowed her eyes, "You told him?"

"We tell each other _everything_." Mike said proudly, giving Tina a slight squeeze.

"I'm going to puke, its bad enough you two already share the same last name."

Quinn nodded, crinkling her nose and placing her hand on her hip.

"So, anyway..." Tina said, clearing her throat. "No luck with the fortune I take it?"

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Quinn drawled, arching a brow.

"Sorry." Tina squeaked, moving closer to her boyfriend. "W-whats going on with Brittany?" She asked, trying to change the subject.

"Drop it, Hello Kitty. Its none of your business." Santana snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.

Mike shifted awkwardly and looked between the girls, "I'm going to wait outside..."

Tina held him in place, "Oh, no you don't!"

"Calm down, Boy Chang. We're done talking anyway." Santana said dismissively, hooking her arm through Quinn's.

The couple frowned slightly and watched the girls disappear into the hallway.

xxx

Quinn exhaled deeply through her nose as she finished her stretches. She stood up quickly and moved to follow Brittany as the Cheerio's moved to start running their laps.

"Britt!" She called, coming up along side the taller girl.

"What do you want, Santana?" The blonde snapped, although the bite was weak in her voice.

Quinn swallowed and struggled to catch her breath, "I wanted to set up another date... To make up for the one that I'll be missing this weekend."

Brittany eyed her warily but a smile finally tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Really?" She asked, almost too quietly for Quinn to hear.

"Really." Quinn said, flashing the other girl a wide smile.

xxx

"Hey, what's up baby mama?" Puck asked, wiping the sweat from his brow as he stepped off of the football field.

"Don't call me that." Santana said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Fine. What's up, Quinn?" The mo-hawked boy corrected with a chuckle.

"You still up for seeing Beth this weekend?" The blonde asked softly, glancing toward their feet.

Puck's face immediately fell, "I can't. I made plans with my mom." The boy said sadly, scuffing his cleats against the turf.

"Oh." Santana said, her teeth worrying her lip.

"Hey, you can still go, okay? You got this, babe." He said, placing a sweaty hand on her shoulder. "You got this."

Santana chuckled softly and tried to fight down the small flutter of affection she felt toward the boy.

"You really can be a good guy."

"You sound surprised."

"I am." Santana said, brushing off his hand with a much fuller laugh. "I really am."

xxx

Quinn smiled as Santana pulled up to the curb outside of the Lopez home Friday morning. "Hey." She said with a smile as she hopped into the vehicle.

"G'morning." Santana said back as she started toward the school, "Can you believe its almost been a week?"

Quinn shook her head and took a deep sip from her coffee, "No, I can't. I still can't believe it happened at all. I keep expecting to wake up from a really long and bizarre dream. And of course... You'd let me know how crazy I am."

"Yeah. I know, right?" The blonde said with a laugh, "I'd probably accuse you of being on something."

"I think out of the two of us... That would be more expected of you."

"Hey! That's racist!"

Quinn chuckled, "Not if I am referring to your personality."

"Would you like to _walk,_ Fabray?"

xxx

Santana chewed on her lip and scanned the faces of the students exiting the lunch line. "Have you seen Brittany?" She asked, side eying the brunette.

Quinn shook her head and swallowed before answering. "No, well not here yet anyway. She was okay after practice though, remember?"

Santana nodded but her worried expression stayed in place. "Yeah... I'll be right back."

Quinn frowned and watched as the other girl disposed of her food and tray before exiting the cafeteria.

Santana walked through the empty halls quickly and headed straight for the auditorium.

She often snuck off to meet Brittany there when they skipped class or lunch together. It was their favorite place.

Her heart rate picked up as she pushed into the wide open and dimly lit space.

She paused, sucking in a deep breath before stepping forward and closing the door behind her. Santana closed her eyes, a wave of nostalgia washing over her when they opened again to sweep along the dark stage.

She turned then, her eyes moving toward the furthest row of seats along the back wall.

"Brittany?" Santana asked, her eyes widening as they fell upon the taller blonde.


	6. Chapter 6

_"Brittany?" Santana asked, her eyes widening as they fell upon the taller blonde._

The other girl pulled away slowly from Sam Evans, the two blinked in Santana's direction. "Quinn?"

Santana felt a confusing rush of emotion, her gut twisted painfully. Her heart dropped and she felt as if the air had been sucked from her lungs.

And then, just as suddenly as the pain had come it was replaced with rage. Her body seemed to respond on its own, fists clenching at her sides. "What are you doing? What about Santana?!" She cried, the words came out more harshly and powerful than she thought herself capable of at the moment.

It almost felt like she was watching the scene unfold and Quinn was there instead, defending her.

Quinn wasn't there, she was alone and the words were her own. Right?

Santana shook her head, by the time she looked back toward them the two were making their way down to her.

Sam passed quickly, eyes on the floor and hand rubbing at the back of his neck.

"Quinn..."

"No, what the hell was _that_?" Santana heard herself cry, her hand flying toward where Sam had just exited.

"We were just having fun, Quinn. And why does what's going on between me and Santana bother _you_?" Brittany snapped, the shorter blonde blinked in surprise at the other girl's tone.

"So you would rather have fun than worry about how it will make Santana feel?" She asked, calming her voice slightly but keeping the edge to it.

"Santana doesn't know Quinn, you do." Brittany said slowly, her eyes narrowing in warning.

"And you want me to forget what I saw?" Santana asked, not even trying to stop the sarcastic chuckle that erupted from her throat.

"Do you want to hurt her?" Brittany asked, cocking her head to the side.

" _You_ are the one that will hurt her with this!" Santana cried, "Not me."

Brittany shook her head, "I didn't mean to... I just, I can't wait for her forever." The taller blonde whispered, all of the fight leaving her voice.

Santana clenched her jaw, Brittany's regret doing nothing to subdue her anger. "Maybe you won't have to."

"What?"

"You heard me." Santana hissed, "She needs support and understanding, not for you to _cheat_ on her."

"Its not cheating, the plumbing is different." Brittany defended weakly, Santana felt nausea churn her stomach.

"Of course." The shorter blonde said, turning to start for the door. She should have known that using that type of logic with the other girl would come back to haunt her.

"Quinn!" Santana paused, her hand hovering over the doorknob. "You won't tell her, will you?"

Santana left without a word and without looking back.

xxx

The blonde moved back toward the cafeteria but decided to make a quick stop at the nearby restroom to collect herself.

She pushed the door open and immediately headed for the first mirror. Her hands gripped the cool porcelain of the sink until her knuckles were white.

She stared at her reflection, the pale face and tired eyes felt more fitting than they ever had. The hazel stood out against the watery red caused by the tears that were threatening to spill now that her adrenaline was wearing off.

Santana blinked and glanced passed her shoulder and toward the stalls as a loud sob echoed in the bathroom.

"Hello?" She asked, furrowing her brow as she turned toward the stall on the end by the far wall.

"Santana?" A voice croaked weakly, the blonde rushed toward the sound and pushed the door open gently.

"Quinn? What's wrong?" She asked, kneeling beside the brunette.

"I d-don't know." The girl managed, her voice rough from crying. "I went to look for you guys... And all of the sudden I just felt pain and like I couldn't breathe." She whispered, her fist balled tightly over her heart.

Santana frowned and wordlessly pulled the crying girl to her. "I'm sorry."

Quinn pulled back slightly, confusion evident on her tear stained features. "Why are you sorry?"

"It's my fault that you feel this way."

Quinn's brows furrowed further, "I don't understand..."

Santana sucked in a deep, unsteady breath. "I found Brittany."

The brunette remained silent, her dark eyes searching the other girl's face as her grip unconsciously tightened.

"She was with Sam, they were... Kissing, in the auditorium."

Quinn's eyes widened, "I don't... I thought she wanted to be with you?"

"Me too." Santana breathed, hiding her face by resting her chin on the top of Quinn's head.

The blonde's eyes fluttered closed when the smaller girl's arms wrapped tightly around her torso. They held each other in silence until Quinn's crying subsided to small sniffles and finally the bell rang.

xxx

"Hold up Girl Chang, We need to talk to you." Santana said as the rest of the students filed out of the choir room. She kept close to Quinn, ignoring the weight of Brittany's stare as the taller blonde passed them.

"Uhm, okay. What can I help you with?" Tina asked nervously, watching as Mr. Schuester also left the room. Mike paused by the door but Tina waved him on, promising to meet him at his locker.

"Something weird is happening to us." Quinn said, her teeth worrying her lip.

"Weirder than whats already happened to you?" Tina asked, flashing them an incredulous look.

"Look, Asian Number One... This isn't a joke!" Santana spat, leaning toward the shorter girl. Quinn held her back but nodded in agreement.

"We are able to feel each others emotions..." The brunette said quietly, Tina quirked a brow.

"Say what?"

Santana moved to respond but Quinn beat her to it. "Santana saw something upsetting and I felt it for her, without even knowing what was going on."

"And I felt _angry_ , instead of sad. Almost as if I _was_ Quinn when I saw it."

"Oh." Tina said, eyes wide.

"So... What do you think that means?" Quinn asked, loosening her grip on the blonde.

"Well, it sounds like you're syncing."

Santana wrinkled her nose, "What, like periods?"

Tina and Quinn rolled their eyes, the darker haired girl ignored the comment and continued. "This could be really good... Or really bad." She said, swallowing nervously.

"What do you mean?" Quinn asked, Tina sighed.

"It could mean that you are doing something right and you are close to getting your bodies back..."

"Or?" Santana asked, her hand seeking out Quinn's blindly.

"Or... You are... Turning into each other?" Tina said, the uncertainty of her answer more than evident in her voice.

"If that happens, I _will_ kill you." Santana warned, Quinn nodded.

"And I will help hide the body."

Tina gulped before smiling weakly, "If it's any consolation... You seem _closer_. And that has got to be a good thing, right?"

The two exchanged looks, "Right."

xxx

Quinn was busy stretching when Brittany came up beside her, "Hey. Did Quinn say anything to you?"

The brunette looked up hesitantly, deciding that it would be better to play oblivious. "No, why?" She asked, ignoring the dull ache in her chest.

"Oh, no reason. Its just... She seemed upset earlier, I just wanted to make sure she was okay."

Quinn stared at the blonde for a moment, she went to respond but was cut off by Santana. "We're stretching, Pierce! _Not_ talking!"

Brittany shot her a glare but obediently moved to return to her stretches. She didn't want to bring the wrath of Sue down on herself or the other Cheerios for arguing with her captain.

xxx

"Sorry I was being a mega bitch during practice, Q."

"Its okay, it kept me from having awkward conversation with Brittany."

Santana nodded but fell quiet at the mention of the other blonde. Despite the silence, the drive was over quickly enough.

The two girls made their way inside and up into Santana's room as soon as they arrived. They flopped down on the bed with sighs and Quinn stared up at the ceiling with a thoughtful expression.

Santana had just begun to doze off when the brunette finally spoke, "You know, I might need to thank Tina..."

"Why?" The blonde asked, lifting her head off of the bed to study the other girl.

"Because I missed this... I missed you." Quinn confessed softly, wringing her hands together in her lap.

Santana sat up at this, angling her body toward the brunette. "I missed you too, Q." She whispered, studying the girl's face as she spoke.

Her breath hitched when Quinn's eyes finally moved up to meet her own. Santana gulped when those dark eyes lowered again, just slightly, to her lips. Her stomach twisted pleasantly and she suddenly had the urge to close the distance between them.

Quinn's eyebrows shot up when she realized what Santana was doing. A shiver rolled down her spine as the blonde's hand gripped the back of her neck, bringing them closer together. She licked her lips unconsciously and fought down the urge to shiver again as Santana's breath skimmed the moist skin. Her eyes rose slowly to meet the hooded hazel ones watching her.

"This is too weird." She breathed with a weak chuckle, Santana blinked.

Quinn regretted the words immediately as the blonde inhaled deeply and retracted her hand.

"Yeah, it is." She agreed, sitting back and widening the space between them again.

Santana picked at her comforter, inwardly groaning at her lapse in judgement.

What had she been thinking?

 

 

xxx

"How was school today girls?" Maribel asked as they greeted her in the living room.

"Alright." Quinn lied, Santana nodded in agreement.

Maribel gave a small nod of her own, "Will you be staying for dinner, Quinn?"

Santana looked toward the real Quinn, her heart rate picking up as the brunette's dark eyes met her own for the first time since their almost kiss.

"Sure." She said finally, averting her eyes in a futile attempt to calm the rapid beating of her heart.

 

 

xxx

Luckily for Santana, it didn't take her mother long to prepare dinner. She had done her best to keep her attention focused on the crappy reality television show she and Quinn were watching but her mind seemed fixated on wandering.

She couldn't help but think back to that moment in her room and what it meant.

Had she actually wanted to kiss Quinn? Was it Quinn's body that had brought on the urge to kiss the other girl? Or was she just so emotionally compromised from the days events that she was craving affection in general?

She let out a soft groan and brought her hand up to her forehead. The blonde squeezed her eyes shut as her lips tingled at the memory, only now her mind took it a step further.

Warping the memory so that their lips had actually touched and her eyes had opened to bright and curious hazel, instead of the deep brown of her own.

"Hey, time for dinner." Quinn said with a small smile.

Santana jumped slightly and snapped out of her day dream as the brunette's hand brushed her shoulder.

"Y-yeah, alright." She stuttered, jumping up to head for the dining room. Quinn frowned and shook her head before following the blonde.

 

 

xxx

"Are you spending the night again, Quinn?" Maribel asked as the girls helped her clean off the table.

Santana flushed and glanced down at the dishes in her hands.

"Uhm, probably not. I think I'll stay a little longer and then head home before it gets too late. If that's okay?" She asked, glancing between the two brunettes.

"Of course it is, sweetie! I just wanted to know if I should thaw that other pack of bacon I picked up." She said with a wink before disappearing into the kitchen.

"Are you okay?" Quinn whispered, her brow creased with worry.

"Yeah, I'm just tired. Big day tomorrow." She said, only giving half of the truth.

Quinn nodded and chewed on her lip as she followed the other girl into the kitchen. Once they were done, the two made their way upstairs.

They sat side by side on Santana's bed, both silently fidgeting in their own way.

"So uh, about tomorrow... We can either drive together and I can pick you up. Or, you can borrow mom's car and meet me at Shelby's."

Quinn studied her hands that sat folded in her lap and quietly weighed the two options.

The tension between the two of them had been palpable since earlier, she was almost certain that Maribel had picked up on it. And as much as she wanted to discuss what had happened, she knew that now was not the time.

Quinn was also certain that Santana had misunderstood her earlier statement. She glanced toward the blonde, the other girl was once again studying her comforter.

Of course she had wanted to kiss Santana, she had always wondered what it would be like. But with their bodies the way that they were now, she imagined it would be awkward.

She closed her eyes, she didn't want to kiss _herself_. She wanted to kiss _Santana._

"Quinn?"

The brunette sighed, "I'll meet you there, let me get the address out of my phone... Puck drove us before." She said, smiling when Santana handed her the iPhone. "Thanks."

She handed the phone back once she was done and watched as the blonde placed it back into her pocket.

"You aren't leaving because of earlier, are you?" Quinn asked quietly, trying to keep her insecurity from seeping into her voice.

Santana stiffened, "No... I told you, Q. I'm tired and we have to keep up appearances... I can't just _live_ here until we get our bodies back."

Quinn nodded, even though she knew that Santana was lying.

"Actually, I think I'm gonna bounce. Don't forget to ask about the car." She said, leaning in to give the brunette a quick hug.

"I won't." Quinn said, rising form the bed so that she could walk the other girl out.

 

 

xxx

**Satan:** _I just got done talking to your mom, we're a go on the car. She also said that she is proud of you for supporting your friend. :)_

Quinn changed into her pajamas while she waited for the other girl to respond.

 **Fabgay:** _Awesome, I'm getting ready for bed. You should too, see you tomorrow._

Quinn frowned, she had hoped that with space and some time Santana's mood from earlier would pass. "Hopefully she'll be okay tomorrow." The brunette sighed as she slid under the covers.

 **Satan:** _Okay, night San. Sleep well._

She turned out the light and laid down, she was tired but her mind was racing. Quinn glanced toward the nightstand where Santana's phone was still glowing dimly.

She snatched up the device and brought the screen to life once more.

Normally she was against invading someone's privacy unless it benefited her. Well, if they were her friend anyway. She bypassed the other girl's inbox and instead made her way to the saved photos. That was better, right? Than reading saved texts with possibly intimate and private messages?

She shook her head and brought her thumb down to the screen from where it had been hovering. She had really only used the phone to talk to Brittany, Puck and Santana since they had switched.

She was surprised and slightly relieved to find that all of the people in the pictures were clothed. Most of them were shots of Brittany and Santana, a few of the three of them and some snapped during Glee.

Quinn paused once she made her way back to the first photo, it was of Brittany and Santana. They both wore wide smiles and appeared to be laughing at something. They were outside in their WMHS sweaters, cheeks flushed and water still clinging to their slicked back hair.

Brittany was staring at the camera, she was clearly the one taking the picture. Quinn's heart clenched as she shifted her gaze to Santana, the brunette was looking at Brittany. Both dimples were proudly pronounced and a look of pure love and admiration was seeping from her eyes.

She quickly exited back to the main screen and slid the phone back onto the nightstand before heaving a sigh.

Quinn stared at the dark ceiling, her mind racing even more than it had been before.

She sucked in a deep breath and dug the heels of her palms into her eyes. She knew what she had to do.

 

 

xxx

Santana stretched and turned off the alarm on Quinn's phone before typing out a message.

 **Fabgay:** _You up, Princess?_

She threw the phone down onto her pillow before padding over to the bathroom to freshen up. By the time she was back, the other girl had responded.

 **Satan:** _I am now, thanks to you. I had like five more minutes until my alarm went off... Jerk._

Santana laughed, responding quickly before picking out her clothing for the day.

 **Fabgay:** _God, you really are starting to sound like me, Q. Get up & get moving. I'll see you soon._

She shrugged on a cardigan and grabbed one of Quinn's medium sized off the shoulder bags for her keys, phone and wallet.

"Good morning, Quinnie. Where are you off to?" Judy asked as she put down the book she was reading.

Santana chewed on the inside of her cheek, Russell wasn't home from his work trip yet. She could trust Judy, right? She still had a few minutes until she had to leave so she sat down at the table opposite of the older woman.

"I'm going to see Beth." She said, frowning when Judy stiffened at the name.

"Quinn, do you think that's a good idea, sweetie?"

"She's my daughter." Santana said slowly, hoping she hadn't made a mistake talking to the older woman about this.

"Yes but you gave her up, dear..." Judy said softly, reaching for her glass of amber liquid.

"I still want to be part of her life." Santana said firmly, moving to rise from the table.

"Your father won't like this, Quinnie." Judy said, placing her glass back down.

Santana's eyes hardened into a glare, "But..." Judy continued, "I suppose what he doesn't know can't hurt him. Just make sure this is what you really want."

Santana relaxed significantly at this, "Thanks mom. It is, I'll see you later."

Judy nodded and watched the younger blonde head for the door, "Quinn?" Santana paused, "I love you."

The girl turned back toward the older woman, "I love you too, mom."

 

 

xxx

Santana drummed her fingers against the steering wheel as she pulled up to the address on Quinn's phone.

 **Fabgay:** _I'm here, how far away are you?_

She looked up toward Shelby's home, it was a decent size. Definitely big enough space for her and Beth. The home wasn't too far from the school and the neighborhood was clean and seemingly friendly. There was even a small park for the children by the one entrance.

Santana blinked, looking back toward the phone as it alerted her to a new text.

 **Satan:** _Don't hate me._

The blonde narrowed her eyes at the text, she was just getting ready to call Quinn when the ground beneath her car trembled.

"Shit! Not again!" She exclaimed, gripping the door with one hand and the center console with the other as she clamped her eyes shut.

When the tremors finally stopped, she cracked her eyes open slowly.

"Holy shit!" She gasped, her lips splitting into a wide grin as she stared at her hands.

Santana flipped the visor down and laughed louder when her own tanned features greeted her in the mirror.

Suddenly something clicked and the brunette once again narrowed her eyes. "That tricky bitch." Santana mumbled, she was no longer in Quinn's red V.W. Beetle. Instead she was seated in her mother's car which just happened to be parked out in front of the Pierce's home.

She glanced down at the phone in her lap, "Shit."

Santana stared at the open conversation, the last message was from her number.

_Hey B, I'm outside. Can we talk?_

She jumped when someone knocked on her window, "You have got to be kidding me..." Santana said, heaving a sigh before stepping out of the car slowly.

"I thought you had plans today?" Brittany asked, leaning against the hood of the sedan. The blonde had her arms crossed loosely over her chest and was watching Santana closely.

"I do." The brunette said, mimicking the other girl's posture.

Brittany looked down at the asphalt, her brow furrowed. "So I guess you talked to Quinn, huh?"

Santana's eyes widened, _'That's right, my plans mean I shouldn't be here... I should be supporting Quinn with her visit with Beth.'_ She thought, running a hand through her thick, dark hair.

"Yeah, I did." She said, raising her eyes to meet Brittany's. The girl flinched at the confirmation and licked her lips nervously.

"Britt... I want you to be happy, even if I'm not the reason for your happiness anymore." She said softly, scuffing one of her Chucks against the road.

She watched as the hurt flashed across Brittany's blue eyes. The blonde had been expecting yelling and anger, not a calm and clear minded Santana who had already made up her mind.

"You're breaking up with me?"

Santana fought down the urge to throw a sarcastic remark the other girl's way. "You want something that I am not ready to give you, Brittany. It's only fair."

"Fair for who?"

"For both of us." Santana said, struggling to keep herself from comforting the other girl as she began to cry.

"Be happy with Sam." Santana offered softly, Brittany shook her head.

"It isn't like that, Santana. I don't have feelings for Sam!"

"What about Artie? You said you liked him, right? That you didn't want to lead him on because we were together?"

The blonde nodded slowly and hiccuped, "Its still not the same, he's not you."

Santana sighed, "I know, Britt. But sometimes things just don't work out... The timing is off and I want you to be happy, I don't want us to hurt each other anymore. You're my best friend."

"You promise?"

"I promise, forever and always. You'll never _stop_ being my best friend, Brittany." Santana said, smiling as she pulled the taller girl into a hug.

"You're going to make Artie a very happy guy, Britt Britt."

"What about you?"

The question was simple and innocent and yet for Santana it was loaded. Her heart skipped a beat and bright, hazel eyes flashed in her mind. She had to see something...

"I'll be okay, B. But I have to go, I'll see you Monday!" She said as she hopped back into her mother's car.

Brittany nodded and backed toward her driveway slowly. "Bye Santana." She said with a small smile and a wave.


	7. Chapter 7

Quinn's eyes fluttered open as the tremors wracking her vehicle calmed, they immediately fell on her hands. She blinked, eyes widening when she realized they were back to their old shade of pale.

"Oh my God!" She said happily, flexing her fingers before flicking down her visor.

The blonde watched a smile tug across her pale features before pinching her cheek. "Definitely not dreaming... But how?"

She chewed her lip thoughtfully, _"... Selfless love will set you free..."_ Quinn whispered, remembering the fortune.

Her gaze shifted warily to the nearby house, she suddenly remembered _where_ she was.

She had only been to Shelby's new home once, just after the older woman had moved. Her hands trembled nervously in her lap, brushing over her phone. Quinn picked up the device, Satan's contact screen greeting her. Her thumb hovered over the 'call' option but she shook her head and exited.

"She'll be too busy with Brittany..." The blonde whispered, teeth worrying her lip as she stared blankly at her phone's clock.

11:42 AM

xxx

Quinn swiped her thumb over the screen of her phone to keep it from locking, 12:09 PM flashed at her mockingly in response.

The blonde sighed before slipping the phone into the bag occupying her passenger seat.

"I'm sorry." She whispered sadly, her eyes locked on Shelby's home. "I wish I were stronger."

She tore her gaze away before moving to put her key into the ignition, the blonde squeaked in surprise when someone pounded on the back of her car suddenly.

"Oh, no you don't! Out, now!" Santana panted through the glass barrier.

Quinn gulped, fighting down the emotion that was threatening to bubble up at the brunette's appearance.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, shouldering her bag and closing her door.

"What do you mean? I said I would be here." Santana puffed, still struggling to catch her breath.

"What about Brittany?"

Santana frowned, wishing the other girl would look her in the eye. "We... It's resolved, I talked it out with her."

It wasn't a lie but it also wasn't the full truth. She planned to tell Quinn exactly what had happened but now was definitely not the time.

"Just, don't worry about it right now, okay? This is for you and Beth." The brunette said, taking a step closer to the other girl.

"Okay..." Quinn said, offering a small smile before she allowed Santana to lead her up to the porch.

Quinn quickly locked her car, throwing her keys into her bag while Santana knocked.

The door opened a minute later, Shelby smiling broadly as she pulled it back further for them to come inside.

"Hello girls, go ahead and get comfortable. Would you like anything to drink before I go and get Beth?"

Santana gave a polite 'no' before looking toward Quinn, "Water please?"

The older woman gave a quick nod and moving to get her the drink, leaving the girls alone in her living room.

The two took a seat on the large, plush couch, eyes sweeping the room as a clock ticked nearby. Santana silently sought out Quinn's hand, giving it a quick squeeze before releasing it when Shelby reappeared.

"Here you go! I'll be right back, going to give her a quick diaper change after I wake her. You two will thank me." The older woman said with a wink.

Santana chuckled and Quinn tried to do the same but the sound caught in her throat. It turned into a lump that made it difficult for her to swallow.

The younger brunette frowned when she noticed her friend's expression and paling features.

"You've got this." Santana reminded, the words becoming almost a calming mantra at this point.

Quinn nodded, trying to calm her breathing before Shelby returned with Beth.

She thought she had built up a pretty convincing mask but Shelby shot her a sympathetic look as she reentered the living room.

The blonde couldn't help but stiffen when the older woman and the child drew closer. Her wide eyes were too busy with Beth to notice the worried glance shared by the two brunettes.

"Could I hold her?" Santana asked, hoping to ease Quinn into the visit.

Shelby caught on quickly and flashed the younger brunette a wide smile. "Of course!"

She gently handed off her daughter before settling in the recliner across from the couch.

Santana smiled down at the baby in her arms, Beth stared at her with wide eyes. Sucking and gumming at her thumb as she continued to stare at the new person holding her.

"Thank _God_ she took after you... For the most part, right, cutie?"

Quinn blinked, the comment helping to snap her from her trance. She couldn't help but smile at the gentle look that had taken over her friend's tan features.

By now, Beth was cooing and waving her chubby arms while Santana tickled her belly with her free hand.

"You really are good with kids, huh?" She asked softly, a familiar fluttering warming her heart at the sight.

Santana finally tore her eyes away from Beth, a wide smile specifically meant for Quinn tugging at her lips.

The two stared at each other for a moment before Shelby cleared her throat, "Quinn, could I talk to you in the other room?" She asked, the blonde nodded.

Santana watched the two leave the room before turning her attention back to Beth. She hoped that Shelby could convince Quinn that everything was okay, that what she was feeling was _normal_.

Quinn took a seat on one of the high stools by the counter as Shelby started a pot of coffee.

"How are you?" The older woman asked, not looking up from what she was doing. Quinn chewed on her lip, inspecting her nails.

"Alright... It's getting easier." She said, hoping the words sounded convincing.

Shelby nodded, "That's good... If you ever need anyone to talk to though, remember that I'm here." She said, turning to face the younger woman. "Back when I had Rachel... I wasn't brave enough to do what you are doing. I thought it would be better to not see her... Aside from the occasional photo. But I was wrong, it didn't make it easier. It didn't hurt less." The brunette took in a deep, unsteady breath. "I regret it everyday."

Quinn picked at her cuticle, "Is that why you moved closer?" She asked in a quiet voice.

"Yes, well, that was part of it... I wanted Beth to be closer for you and Noah, so that you two could visit whenever you wanted to."

"Thank you." Quinn said sincerely, finally raising her eyes to meet Shelby's.

"No, thank _you_ for giving me another chance to be a mother." She said, her voice thick with emotion. "I've seen pictures, heard stories, for her _entire_ life... But I don't _know her_ and now... I don't know now to even begin to try." Shelby whispered, her hand gripping the edge of her counter.

Quinn swallowed thickly, her heart aching at the other woman's words.

"She wants to know you..." Quinn whispered and Shelby sighed.

"I know. I'm just afraid I won't be able to live up to the idea of myself, the one she's dreamed of in my absence."

"I guess there's no easy way, is there?" Quinn asked after a small span of silence.

"No, there really isn't. Either way you have to explain it to them and hope that they understand why you had to do what you did... And you have to remind yourself _constantly_ that you made the best choice, for both of you."

The two held each others gazes, sad smiles gracing their lips. They looked back toward the living room when a loud wail ended the silence.

"Sounds like someone is hungry... Why don't you go give her a hand? I'll be in with Beth's bottle in a few minutes."

Quinn nodded, quickly making her way toward Santana and the crying child. The blonde paused in the threshold, her heart skipping a beat as she took in the sight of the two of them.

Despite her casual clothing and simple ponytail, Santana looked more mature than Quinn had ever seen her. She was making small soothing sounds as she rocked Beth back and forth gently in her arms. She glanced up, smiling when she finally noticed Quinn watching them.

Quinn sat down next to the brunette, "You want to hold her?" Santana asked, glancing back down toward the now calm Beth.

"You seem to be doing okay."

"Quinn... We're here for you, not me." Santana argued gently, her eyes rising again to meet the blonde's.

"I know, Santana. I just- I can't hold her yet." She said, her voice wavering.

"Okay, I just don't want you to regret _not_ holding her... She'll never be this little again."

Before Quinn could respond Shelby appeared, bib and bottle in one hand and her coffee in the other. "I can feed her if you'd like, Santana."

The younger woman nodded, putting on Beth's bib before allowing Shelby to take the baby.

"You're a natural at this... Normally she cries until I give her the bottle."

"Big family." Santana said, settling back into the couch with a shrug. "After a while it just became my job to help take care of my little cousins, being the eldest."

Shelby nodded, asking the girls about school as she began to feed Beth.

xxx

Quinn fidgeted as she watched Shelby burp Beth, "Could I hold her? W-when you're done, I mean." She asked suddenly, shocking the brunettes.

"You can take her now... I'm pretty sure she's just about done." She said, stilling her hand. She stood up, supporting Beth's head as she passed the baby off carefully to Quinn.

The blonde breathed in sharply, trying to keep her hands from shaking as she adjusted her daughter in her arms. She couldn't help but smile when Santana wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders.

She wanted to thank the brunette but she couldn't tear her eyes away if she wanted to. They were locked on the hazel-brown ones watching her with rapt attention. Her heart fluttered, the empty feeling that had haunted her for so many nights finally feeling almost whole.

"Hi." She breathed softly, wiggling her finger against Beth's tiny ones.

The baby let out a small giggle, clutching at Quinn's finger with her chubby hand.

Quinn laughed, barely noticing Santana's body shifting beside her. She did however, find it difficult to ignore the click of a camera going off. "Where did you get that?" She asked, surprised to see Santana holding _her_ camera.

"Snuck it in there before I left." The brunette said with a wink, snapping another when Quinn smiled.

"Great idea, Santana. Let me grab mine." Shelby said, jumping from her seat to go dig around in a drawer nearby.

She paused on her away back to the recliner, smiling when she saw how happy and relaxed Quinn looked.

She quickly snapped a candid shot before the girls noticed her, taking another when they both smiled toward the camera.

"Would you like me to take some of the three of you with yours?" Shelby offered, moving back to her seat.

"Yeah, that would be great, actually." Santana said, smiling as she stood to pass the older woman Quinn's camera.

xxx

"Thank you again for stopping by, girls." Shelby said as she followed them out onto her porch. "Feel free to stop by anytime and if you would like... I could give you a call if I need a babysitter?"

Quinn and Santana both nodded, "Totally, just ask Q if you ever need my number. Are you fully settled or do you still have stuff to move?" Santana asked, leaning on the railing that surrounded the porch.

"There's a little left in a storage unit, mostly extra furniture... Armoire, some extra furnishing for the basement and backyard..." The older woman said with a shrug.

"Well, if you need any help let me know. I'm sure Puck would lend a hand too."

"I will definitely have to take you up on that offer." Shelby said with a chuckle, "Drive safely girls!"

"Will do, thank you. I'll give you a call when I figure out a good date for the next meet up after I talk to Noah."

"Sounds good." Shelby said with a wave as she watched them make their way down the steps.

The two walked quietly until they reached the road, "Thank you for doing this for me, Santana."

The brunette chuckled, hooking her thumbs through the belt loops of her jeans. "It was no problem, Q. It was actually really fun." She said sincerely, " _Thank you_ for letting me tag along."

Quinn watched the shorter girl scuff her shoes on the sidewalk, "I think I need to get my camera back out."

Santana rolled her eyes with a huff, "Shut up. I know, my _humanity_ is showing."

Quinn chewed on her lip to try and hide the smile that was threatening to spread across the lower half of her face. She lurched forward suddenly and wrapped Santana up in a tight embrace.

The brunette stiffened at first, surprised by the sudden contact. After a moment she unhooked her hands from her jeans and returned the gesture.

She buried her face into Quinn's neck and smiled when the other girl spoke. "I want to say that I missed you but... You didn't really go anywhere."

Santana nodded, "I know what you mean."

The two let the hug linger a little longer before easing away from each other, almost reluctantly.

"Well, I better get home to Mom so she doesn't get too curious... It _is_ almost dinner time."

Santana chuckled nervously, "About that..."

Quinn narrowed her eyes, "What did you do?"

"I may have told your Mom about today's visit..."

"You what?!" Quinn cried, running a hand through her hair as she began to pace back and forth nervously.

"Quinn, it's okay. _She_ was okay with it." Santana said, placing a gentle hand on the other girl's arm.

"...She was?"

"Yes and she even said that she wouldn't mention it to your Dad."

Quinn remained silent for a moment as she took in the information, "I don't... I didn't think either of my parents wanted me to see her." She said in a small, disbelieving voice.

"Judy was just worried that it would hurt you more but she said that if it was what _you_ wanted then she would be okay with it. She just wants you to be happy, Q. She loves you... Even if she doesn't always know how to show it."

Quinn's teeth worried her lip but she nodded slowly. She was grateful when the brunette wrapped her up into a quick and reassuring hug.

"Now, go on. Show her the pictures before your Dad gets home!" Santana said before tugging the blonde toward her car.

"Text me later, I want to know how it went!" Quinn nodded as she slipped into her car, a small smile played at her lips as she watched Santana disappear into her Mother's sedan.

xxx

"Mom? I'm home." Quinn said as she closed the front door, Judy emerged from the kitchen a moment later.

"How did it go, dear?" The older blonde asked, watching as Quinn took a seat on their living room couch.

Quinn smiled and patted the cushion next to her, "I'll show you."

"Alright, you may have to join me in the kitchen then... I have something in the oven."

Quinn nodded, "Okay but it shouldn't take too long."

Judy sat down, smoothing down her apron as she did. She watched as Quinn pulled her camera from her bag. She turned it on quickly before moving to the beginning of today's photos.

Quinn leaned in closer to her mother, smiling gently when Judy gasped. "Oh, Quinn... She's beautiful."

"Yes, she is." The girl agreed, her heart fluttering as she looked through the photographs for the first time.

"Santana went with you?" Judy asked, not hiding the surprise from her voice. Although she knew that they had been hanging out with each other recently, she also knew that they'd had a bad falling out during Quinn's pregnancy.

The younger blonde nodded, "Noah was supposed to go but something came up with his Mom... So, Santana offered to meet me there."

"I see, that was very kind of her."

Quinn nodded and continued on to the next picture and by the end of them, Judy was squeezing her glass tightly.

Quinn noticed this and breathed in deeply as she turned off her camera. "Maybe next time, you could come with me." She whispered hopefully.

Judy blinked, a tear overflowed and tracked its way down her cheek.

She remained silent for a moment, her fingers wringing against her glass. "I would like that." She said finally, her voice thick with emotion.

Quinn's heart skipped a beat at the response, "Me too."

The two jumped when the home phone rang loudly, cutting the moment short. "I'd better get that, it's probably your Father..." Judy mumbled quickly as she rose from the couch.

Quinn nodded and grabbed her bag before rising as well, "Alright, I'll be upstairs." She said, flashing her mother a smile before the other woman rounded the corner.

xxx

"See? I told you she was okay with it." Santana said, smiling into the phone as she flopped down on her bed.

She could practically hear Quinn smiling into the phone, "Yes, yes you did. She said she might even go along next time." The blonde said excitedly, Santana blinked.

"Really? Wow! That's great, Q." She said, adjusting her pillow as she tried to get more comfortable.

"Thank you again for today, Santana. I really can't thank you enough."

Santana rolled her eyes playfully, "Yes, you can. Stop thanking me, Q. I told you it was no biggie."

"I'll try." Quinn said with a chuckle, "And if you'd like... I could send you the pictures once I have them on my computer?"

"Yes, please." Santana said, smiling softly as she thought back to the blonde's smile while she had been holding Beth.

The brunette's eyes narrowed when she heard muffled talking, "I've got to go... Daddy's home, so it's dinner time. Remember to check your email!" Quinn said quickly, the brunette laughed.

"Alright, will do. See ya, Quinn."

The blonde said a quick goodbye before the line went dead and Santana sighed. She had come home to find her mother packing for another business trip.

They had talked briefly before Maribel left with the intention of swinging by the hospital to visit her father.

She was used to not seeing her parents but that didn't make her miss them any less. And having spent so much time with Quinn over the last week, she found herself feeling lonely. She couldn't even call Brittany...

The thought of the blue eyed blonde made her heart ache, the feeling easily overwhelming her. She blinked back tears and sat up quickly.

She had been able to ignore her feelings for most of the day but now it was too much. She ran her fingers through her hair and leaned forward, gritting her teeth as she fought down the urge to cry.

When she finally opened her eyes again they immediately fell on her phone. Santana quickly picked up the device and pulled up her photos. A sob catching in her throat at the first picture that came into view.

Her free hand gripped her comforter tightly as she made her way through the others. Each shattering her heart a little more.

The brunette released a shuddering sigh, tossing her phone down to the floor out of sheer frustration. She leaned over toward her nightstand, digging around in the drawer before pulling back with a bottle of pills. She opened the bottle of Melatonin, popping a single pill into her mouth before settling back against the headboard.

Santana snapped the bottle closed before throwing it angrily toward where her phone had landed.

"Fuck you." She spat weakly, her voice cracking over the words. She let her head fall back against the wall with a dull thud, "What did I do?" She whimpered, raising her arms to press her palms into her eyelids.

xxx

Dinner with her parents had gone smoothly but Quinn was saddened to see the change in her Mother. She was so soft spoken and submissive around her Father.

The blonde shook her head and pushed the thoughts aside as she grabbed her laptop. She then leaned over to dig around in her bag, pulling out her camera after a moment.

Quinn smiled, plucking out the memory card before sliding it into her computer.

She hummed as she pulled up the pictures, selecting the photos from earlier and copying them to her laptop. Other than some resizing and rotating, the photographs didn't need much in the way of editing.

Quinn opened up her email, selecting Puck, Santana and Shelby under her contacts. She smiled broadly as she hit send, excited to share the pictures.

After stashing her laptop in the cubby of her nightstand, Quinn grabbed her phone and sent a quick text to Santana.

 **Fabgay:** _Just sent the email, they all turned out so well! Thanks again, I owe you. :P xo_

Santana's phone let out a short ring tone signalling a new text from its spot on the floor. The brunette groaned, tossing one of the many pillows surrounding her on the bed toward the origin of the sound.

She flipped the sheet back over her head, mumbling incoherently in Spanish as she drifted back to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Quinn closed her locker, humming to herself as she looked around the hallway for Santana.

"Hey! I was worried about you... You didn't answer your phone at all on Sunday..." The blonde said when she caught up to the shorter girl, Santana shrugged.

"I wasn't feeling well, I stayed in bed all day."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Santana said, shrugging again as she paused by her own locker.

Quinn's eyes widened when she glanced passed Santana, "Uhm, when did _that_ happen?" She asked, leaning around the brunette to get a better look.

Santana quirked a brow and pulled out the last of her books before turning her attention toward where Quinn was still looking curiously.

Her throat tightened when her eyes fell on Artie and Brittany. The tall blonde was smiling and laughing, her hands resting gently on the boy's shoulders from behind. The warning bell sounded and Brittany withdrew her hands slightly to steer Artie's chair down the hall. She waved with a sad smile as she passed.

Santana returned the gesture weakly, "Must have happened over the weekend." She said finally, refusing to meet Quinn's questioning gaze.

"I thought you said that you worked things out?" She asked, her voice sharper than it had been before.

"We did." Santana said with a sigh, she shut her locker and turned away.

"It doesn't look like it." Quinn said, her hands on her hips.

"No, it's worked out. We broke up, well, sort of... We weren't dating 'officially' but we were supposed to be exclusive..." She shook her head, "Look, it doesn't matter now. It's done, we're over."

Quinn deflated visibly, her eyes lowering to the floor. "That wasn't- I'm sorry." She chewed on her lip, feeling partially responsible for the demise of her best friend's relationship. But she wouldn't voice that now, if ever. This was Santana's time to grieve, she deserved at least that.

"Q, this had nothing to do with you... In fact, if anything... I should thank you."

"What?"

"If you hadn't 'forced' me into that conversation with Brittany, we would have just kept hurting each other. And then I might have lost one of my best friends... Sure, it hurts to know she isn't _mine_ anymore but it's for the best."

Although Santana's response hadn't done much to assuage her guilt, the knowledge that the brunette didn't blame her made her feel a little better.

"Can we not talk about it for now, though?" Santana asked, her weak smile disappearing.

Quinn nodded, "Of course but if you _do_ want to talk about anything, I'm here." She said, wrapping her arm loosely around the shorter girl's waist.

Santana hummed out a quick 'mhmm', leaning into Quinn's body as they made their way down the hallway.

xxx

The day passed slowly for Santana, most of it was spent with Quinn. The blonde had caught her moping several times and had made it her job to cheer the brunette up. It had worked for the most part.

Most of Santana's 'cheering up' had involved light bullying and pranks. Her favorite being when Quinn personally delivered a slushie meant for one of the Glee kids to Jewfro. The nosy boy had cornered Santana after her second period class, asking her if there was trouble in her 'pinky paradise.'

Quinn had one of her jock lackeys snag the boy's camera and record the slushie assault before she took the camera herself.

She grinned, making sure to get a close up of the boy as he sputtered. The cold, purple slush dripping down from his face and onto his shirt.

After getting her close up of his initial reaction, Quinn shut off the video camera and removed the memory card.

"Learn your place, _Jacob_." The blonde sneered, shoving the video camera into the his chest before making her way back to a now grinning Santana.

"That was awesome, Q." Santana said, shaking her head with a laugh when the blonde merely shrugged.

"He's an idiot." She said, leaning against the locker next to the brunette. "Here, do with this what you will." The blonde said, holding out the memory card.

Santana accepted it gladly, pocketing the memory card before pushing off of the lockers.

xxx

By the time Glee club rolled around, Santana was in a much better mood. Quinn made sure to Keep the brunette distracted, even from Berry's annoying squawking.

At the end of the period, the two made sure to catch Tina before she could leave.

"Yo, girl Chang!" Santana said, hand on her hip as she sauntered toward the other girl.

"Hey, er..." She looked around the choir room to make sure they were alone.

Santana grinned, glancing toward Quinn as the blonde appeared beside her.

"Wait..." Tina said, looking between the two of them. Santana was still grinning and Quinn was smirking quietly at the shorter girl's expression. "Oh my God, did you...?"

"Yep." Santana said, puffing out her chest proudly.

"Congrats!" Tina said excitedly, "How did you do it?"

Santana glanced toward Quinn, "We fulfilled the fortune."

"Gotta give us something more difficult next time, T." Santana said, hooking her arm through Quinn's.

Tina laughed as she walked with them out into the hallway, "Don't tempt me. But in all seriousness, I'm glad you two figured it out and worked out stuff in the process." She said, flashing them a genuine smile.

Quinn returned the expression, "Thank you for the opportunity. But, if you pull something like that again I will leave you at the mercy of _this_ one." She said, nudging Santana.

"Yeah and then I'll have to go all Lima Heights on you." The brunette said, cracking her neck with a dangerous smirk.

Tina let out a nervous chuckle, "No worries... I'm done meddling. Promise." She paused, frowning slightly before nodding down the hallway. "Are those two an item?" She asked, trying to keep the pain she felt from seeping into her voice.

Quinn and Santana mirrored her expression, the brunette speaking up first. "Probably, they've liked each other for a while." She glanced toward the darker haired girl. "And you're with Mike, right?"

Tina nodded, chewing on the inside of her cheek. "Yeah, I am. Speaking of Mike, I said I would meet him after Glee club. See ya."

Santana shook her head, "Well, damn. Who would have thought Wheels had game?"

Quinn's frown deepened but she remained silent as they made their way toward their lockers.

xxx

Quinn scuffed her feet slightly as they walked toward the parking lot, "So, do you want a ride or...?"

Santana nodded, "Please? Mom had to leave again, _already_ and I really don't want to have to ask Puck."

"Okay, come on!" The blonde said, flashing the shorter girl a smile.

The ride passed mostly in silence, the radio playing softly to keep it from being awkward.

Santana wrung the strap of her bag in her hand nervously as Quinn pulled up to the curb outside of her home, "Do you want to come in?" She blurted out. Frowning as soon as the words left her mouth, hoping she hadn't sounded too desperate.

"Sure." Quinn answered with a small smile, "Let me call my Mom and let her know. I'll be right behind you."

The brunette nodded, exiting the car quickly to hide her elation over the simple response. She just didn't trust herself alone right now.

Santana went up to her room and kicked off her shoes before flopping down on her bed to wait for Quinn.

The blonde appeared a few minutes later, "Sorry, she wanted to know if I would be home in time for dinner..."

"And?" Santana asked, leaning back against her headboard.

"I told her to just save me a plate." Quinn said, grinning as she sat down on the edge of the bed. She chewed on her bottom lip before speaking again.

"Did you check your email yet?

Santana rolled her eyes, "No. Get up here, I'll do it now." She said in a mock exasperated tone and Quinn grinned as she made her way over to sit to the left of the other girl.

It didn't take long for Santana to pull up the email and save the attached photos. She glanced toward the blonde, chuckling fondly at the other girl's giddy expression.

There were nine pictures in total, the first being the candid shot Santana had managed to capture.

"I haven't even seen the others and I can already tell you that this is my favorite." She said softly as she stared at the image, Quinn cocked her head slightly.

"Why?"

Santana chewed on the inside of her cheek and lost herself in thought for a moment. "You just look really beautiful and I guess... Kind of at peace."

Quinn blushed, her teeth worrying her lip at the way Santana's features relaxed as she studied the photo.

"I think it's the happiest I've seen you since you found out that you were pregnant..." The brunette whispered, her own cheeks darkening when she finally caught Quinn's gaze.

"A lot changed for me, I wasn't happy through most of it... The thought of being a mom scared me and I was also afraid of what people would think of me... What Finn, you and my parents would think."

"Me?" Santana asked, her voice unusually small.

Quinn nodded and fidgeted with the comforter. "I know most people think of you as my second in command but you were always so much more to me, Santana."

A lump caught in the brunette's throat at the admission and the way the other girl had breathed her name.

"When I first moved here, I was a _nobody_... I finally had the body, hair and nose I wanted... But I was still Lucy, _I_ didn't even know Quinn yet."

Santana let her eyes flutter shut as she thought back to the day that they had met.

Quinn laughed gently, her hand seeking out the other girl's. "You marched up to me and threw yourself _right_ down next to me on the bus. I thought you were insane!" She mused, squeezing Santana's hand before continuing. "You told me that I was pretty and then went on to demand that we be friends."

"I remember, you looked _so_ concerned." The brunette laughed, squeezing back.

"Your opinion has always mattered to me. You're the whole reason I was able to build up my confidence and make friends."

Santana cleared her throat and shifted nervously, "You could have done those things without me, Q. People love you, they're drawn to you... Just like I was."

Quinn smiled and ducked her head bashfully.

"Let's get back to the pictures." Santana said quickly, clicking through the next few.

She smiled when she got to the ones that Shelby had taken of the three of them. Santana glanced toward the blonde and was surprised to find Quinn's attention on her and not the computer.

"What?" She asked, her eyes flicking back to the screen. "You aren't even looking at them."

"I've seen them, you're more interesting." Quinn responded simply, Santana blushed and continued with the pictures. She kept her eyes trained on the screen and ignored the weight of the blonde's gaze.

Santana cleared her throat, setting her computer on the floor next to the bed when she was done.

"Did you send them to Shelby?" She asked as she pushed her laptop under the bed so that she didn't step on it when she got up.

Quinn let out a small 'mhmm' as she straightened back up and Santana could tell that the other girl was still watching her.

She lifted her eyes slowly to meet the blonde's gaze, licking her lips self consciously as she did so. Quinn's eyes followed the movement and Santana found her eyes widening as the blonde leaned in suddenly.

Her lips were gentle at first, giving Santana time to stop her if she desired to do so. Santana's eyes fluttered shut, her heart skipping a beat as the blonde's hands cupped her cheeks. Her lips pressed more firmly now, more confidently.

A shiver rolled down the brunette's spine when a warm, slick tongue traced her bottom lip.

She parted her lips without hesitation and she smiled into the kiss when Quinn gave a surprised whimper of approval.

It didn't take long for things to grow more heated between them. Tongues battled and teeth clashed occasionally as the two tried to get closer. They broke apart after a few minutes, panting heavily.

"Scoot down." Santana breathed, her voice low and husky.

Quinn's eyes fluttered open at the command and remained locked on the brunette's as she silently complied. Her breath hitched in her throat when the length of Santana's body flattened against her own. Her eyes rolled back, drifting closed again when the shorter girl reclaimed possession of her lips. Reality was _so_ much better than any dream she had experienced in the past week.

Her thoughts instantly moved into a different direction when Santana sucked her lower lip into her mouth, swirling her tongue against the swollen and sensitive flesh. The only thing Quinn could think about is what those same motions would feel like lower and the idea had her squirming.

The brunette groaned, enjoying the way Quinn's body arched into her own as she continued to tease her.

She gave one more nip to Quinn's lip before she pulled back slightly, her eyes moving over the girl's face. The blonde's lips were slightly parted, a few shades darker from the attention she had just given them. Pale cheeks were flushed and long lashes fluttered to reveal dark eyes.

Santana gulped as those eyes smouldered into her own, she had never seen Quinn look like this.

The brunette leaned in quickly, nuzzling against the other girl's jaw to coax her into turning her head. Quinn moaned softly and her eyes fell back shut as Santana latched onto her neck.

The room was quiet, save for the occasional sigh or moan from the blonde. She lost herself in the sensations, not used to having such attentive or skilled partner.

Santana worked her way down the girl's jaw, nipping and sucking as she went. Her nails teased soft flesh as her hand slid under the hem of Quinn's shirt. It traced slowly up over taunt abs until her finger tips were brushing the skin bordering the blonde's bra.

If they were going to take this further, Santana was going to make sure that it was done correctly. Sure, she had seen Quinn's body countless times in the locker room. She had even occupied the blonde's body for a week. But she planned to relearn every curve, dip and swell of it.

And she wanted to do it in a way that would leave the other girl breathless. In a way that would give her memories that she could replay whenever she felt lonely, or unappreciated. To remind herself that someone had taken the time to know her as intimately as she knew herself.

Santana would make sure that Puck's clumsy and no doubt rough touch was not something Quinn tied to the act of sharing her body. She wanted to remind the girl beneath her of her beauty, highlighting each and every aspect of it so she could never forget.

Santana sucked in a deep breath as Quinn trembled against her hand. Her nails raking slowly back down the girl's quivering stomach.

She could feel those smouldering eyes on her again and she couldn't help but look up to meet them.

Santana inched closer, close enough for their breath to mingle and then she froze. Her body and the body beneath her going rigid as the front door slammed downstairs.

"Santana, Quinn? Are you up there?" Maribel called from the first floor.

The girls stared at each other wide eyed for a moment before Santana leapt to her feet. She was at her door by the time her mother made it to the top of the steps with her suitcase.

"Oh, there you are!" Maribel said with a tired smile, Santana nodded breathlessly and ran a hand through her hair.

"Yep, here I am... Didn't you have a business trip?" She asked, nodding toward the suit case.

"Yes, I did. They cancelled on me last minute because one of the board members fell ill... I spent all day on the phone trying to reschedule or make them reconsider." Maribel sighed, tugging her things toward her bedroom.

She moved back into the hallway once her suitcase was in place, "So, Quinn's here? What are you two up to?" She asked, arching a brow as she took in her daughter's disheveled appearance.

Santana blinked and wiped at her cheeks, hoping to rub the color out of them but she only managed to darken them further. "She was showing me the pictures we got the other day when we visited Beth."

"Oh? Let me get changed, I would love to see them." She said, shrugging off her blazer.

"Okay, we'll meet you downstairs in a few?"

Maribel nodded before disappearing into her room again, "What kind of pizza would you girls like? I'm in no mood to cook tonight."

Santana glanced back over her shoulder toward Quinn, "I don't think Q is staying for dinner, Mami."

The blonde nodded to confirm but kept her eyes turned down to her lap. "Okay, I'll just order our usual then." Maribel's voice carried out into the hallway.

"Okay." Santana said before moving back into her room, she shut the door quietly before leaning against it.

The brunette glanced over toward Quinn and chewed on the inside of her cheek as she looked the blonde over.

The other girl was still flushed and her hair and T-shirt were slightly askew.

"Quinn?" Santana started softly, "My mom wants to see the pictures of us with Beth..."

"I know, I heard." She said, adjusting her shirt before reaching up to smooth down her hair. She got up without another word and bent down to grab Santana's laptop.

Santana frowned as the blonde walked passed her silently and moved toward the steps.

xxx

"Oh, she is beautiful." Maribel cooed, covering her mouth as she looked over the first image.

The blonde smiled and folded her hands in her lap. "Thank you."

The older brunette leaned over and ruffled her daughter's hair, "You look good holding babies, Mija. When are you going to find a good boy and settle down?" She asked, eying her daughter.

Santana grimaced and glanced down toward the floor, "You want me to get preggo, Mami?" She asked, trying to mask the discomfort in her voice by sounding incredulous.

"When you're older, of course! I would like to be young enough to enjoy my grandchildren though."

Santana shifted nervously under the weight of her mother's gaze and prayed silently that she would turn her attention back to the pictures.

"My Mother said that she would like to try to go with me to one of my future visits." Quinn said suddenly, giving Santana the diversion she needed. Once her Mother had turned away the brunette mouthed a silent 'thank you' to her friend.

"Oh?" Maribel said, her surprise obvious in her voice as she turned to face the blonde. "That's fantastic, Quinn. What about your Father?"

"He doesn't know that I've even kept in contact with Shelby... He wants nothing to do with Beth." Quinn said quietly and Maribel frowned.

"That man preaches about family but he doesn't seem to know what _real_ family is." Maribel said, tutting in disapproval. "I am glad that your Mother is supporting you and your decision, Quinn." She said, reaching over to place her hand over the blonde's.

"When we go back to visit, would you like to uhm... Would you like to meet her too?" Quinn asked shyly, teeth worrying her lip.

"It would be an honor, Quinn. Thank you for inviting me." The older woman said, squeezing her hand and smiling gently.

The three looked up about fifteen minutes later when the doorbell rang loudly. "Looks like our dinner is here..." Maribel said, grabbing her wallet as she rose form the couch.

Santana glanced toward Quinn as her mother made her way to the door and the blonde flashed her a weak smile.

"I should probably get going so that you two can eat..." She said, reaching for the bag that was lying at her feet.

"You don't have to, Q."

Quinn glanced toward the door where Maribel was still paying the pizza boy. "It's getting late and who knows when your Mom will leave again? I'll see you tomorrow, Santana."

The brunette frowned, rising with her friend and following her out into the hallway. "Text me when you get home?" She asked, her fingers brushing the blonde's forearm.

Quinn blushed and nodded. "I will."

"Are you leaving so soon, Quinn?" Maribel asked, turning with the pizza and her wallet in her hands.

The blonde nodded and flashed the older woman an apologetic smile. "It's getting late and I have some reading to do before bed. It was nice seeing you, Maribel."

"Same here, stop by whenever." The woman said, shoving the pizza box into her daughter's hands so that she could hug the blonde.

Quinn chuckled into the embrace, "I will, thank you."

Maribel took their dinner back from Santana, "I will get the stuff from the kitchen but you're cleaning up. Don't be too long or I might eat it all, Mija." She said, winking playfully. They watched her drop off the pizza in the living room before disappearing around the corner and into the dining room.

The two stared at each other awkwardly for a moment before Quinn finally moved closer and wrapped her arms around the shorter girl. "Bye." She breathed against her dark hair.

Santana shivered at the feeling and give her a small squeeze before letting her go. "Don't forget to text me." She reminded and Quinn chuckled lightly in response.

"I told you I would, now go. Eat." She said, shooing the brunette toward the living room before exiting the Lopez home.

Maribel was surprised when her daughter appeared next to her in the kitchen. "I thought you were walking Quinn out?" She asked, her eyebrows lifting high on her forehead.

"She insisted that I help you instead." Santana replied with a shrug as she grabbed their glasses and some napkins.

"I knew I liked that one." The older woman said with a smile, "It's too bad she isn't a boy."

Santana froze, her body going rigid at the comment and the way her mother had said it. She glanced over her shoulder toward the older brunette but Maribel had already disappeared from view.

"Are you coming, Santana?"

The girl narrowed her eyes before sighing and moving toward the living room. "Yes, Mami."


	9. Chapter 9

Santana was more than a little worried that things might be awkward at school Tuesday with Quinn. The two had texted briefly before bed but had gone no where near the topic of what had happened between them.

Her worries were quickly washed away when she woke to a text asking if she needed a ride to practice. While she knew that they weren't having the conversation that they needed to have, things were feeling normal. At this point, she didn't want to ruin that. The beginning of the day passed quickly and was mostly uneventful.

Santana had cornered Jacob before lunch to forcefully return his memory card. She let the boy know that she had deleted the footage of him harassing her and Brittany as well as the one of him being slushied.

He had accepted the card back with too much excitement and she couldn't help but grin as she added that she had also erased all of the creepy panty shots he had compiled.

Santana had walked away smiling triumphantly as he fell to his knees and crumpled into a whimpering mess.

Things between herself and Quinn were a little awkward but not in a bad way. Her heart would race wildly in her chest whenever their fingers brushed in their mutual classes. Or when she would catch Quinn staring and the blonde would turn away blushing and smiling.

The two had danced around each other all day but still had not said a word about what happened.

When time came for the girls to go to Glee Club, Santana's good mood was dampened slightly. Artie asked to sing and proceeded to serenade Brittany in front of their entire group. The performance was good, she had to give him that but it left a bitter taste in her mouth and her heart aching in her chest.

She had smiled sadly toward Brittany when the performance was over and the blonde jumped up to run up and embrace the wheelchair bound boy.

xxx

Santana strode quickly into the locker room and immediately made her way to her locker. Most of the other Cheerio's had already cleared out onto the field for practice.

"Hey."

Santana turned her head quickly toward the voice, her eyebrows high on her forehead. "Hey Q, aren't you late?"

The blonde shook her head, smiling at the way the other girl's cheeks had darkened slightly. "No, Coach knows what is going on."

"What is going on...?" Santana asked slowly, her eyes catching the faint outline of something behind the other girl's back.

Quinn's smile widened as she shifted her feet against the tiled floor, "Coach was going to give it to you but I asked if I could, instead..." She said, bringing the predestinely packaged uniform from behind her back.

Santana gaped and looked between the uniform and her friend, "You actually managed to convince her?"

Quinn arched a slender brow, "You doubted me?"

The brunette shook her head with a laugh, "Not really, you do always get what you want." She said, slipping out of her old uniform and exchanging it for her new one.

She smirked, noting Quinn's flushed cheeks and averted eyes. "I'm going to take this to Sue's office, I'll be right back."

Santana's smirk softened into a smile as she admired herself and her new uniform in the full body mirror.

"You know, I hadn't even gotten one of these before... I don't think Coach ever intended for me to be Captain for long." She said, moving her eyes up to meet Quinn's in the mirror.

The blonde paused behind her before stepping closer to the brunette. "Mmm... I don't know about that. How do you think I got it so quickly?"

Santana turned, one brow arched at the blonde. "You mean she already had the uniform?"

Quinn remained silent, her eyes searching the dark ones watching her. Without a word, she stepped closer again and closed the distance between them.

Santana let out a surprised gasp as she was pressed up against the mirror but the sound was cut short as Quinn's mouth covered her own. The blonde's lips were firm and insistent.

She wrapped her arms around the taller girl, pressing her nails into the other girl's back as Quinn's tongue traced her bottom lip.

The two remained close and entangled in each other for several minutes until the door leading out onto the field was pulled open. They broke apart quickly then, flushed and panting as a baby Cheerio peeked around a nearby row of lockers.

"Uhm, sorry... I forgot my water bottle and C-Coach wanted to know when you would be out." The red head stuttered nervously before hurrying back outside, water bottle in hand.

Quinn let out a loud puff of air before breaking into a fit of giggles. Santana stared at her shocked for a moment before joining in, shaking her head at the blonde.

"What? I can't help myself. That uniform looks good on you." Quinn said, winking as she moved for the door.

xxx

Their entire practice had been spent exchanging glances and lingering touches as they directed the other Cheerio's.

On the ride home, Santana sat excitedly in the blonde's passenger seat. There was a wide smile on her face and a fluttering sensation in her stomach.

The two of them sang loudly to the radio, laughing as they did.

Quinn cleared her throat as she pulled up to the curb outside of the Lopez home.

"Thanks for the ride." Santana said with a wide smile, the blonde returned the expression.

"Santana... What are we doing?" Quinn asked suddenly, her teeth worrying her lip.

"...I don't know." The brunette confessed, her eyes flicking to her lap. "I like it though."

Quinn's smile twitched back into existence, "Me too. What about Brittany?"

She watched sadness flash briefly across the other girl's dark eyes and although she wouldn't show it; her stomach twisted unpleasantly.

"We're over, she's still my friend and it hurts... But we're done."

Quinn nodded slowly, her smile returning. "Okay. I want to keep doing this, whatever _this_ is... But maybe we should slow down." The brunette nodded in agreement and reached out for the blonde's hand. "I don't... I don't know what liking you means... But if it means that I am gay, bisexual, whatever... I'm not ready for people to know."

Santana's heart soared at the words and she chuckled lightly. "I'm not either, Q. Remember, that's where Brittany and I went wrong."

Quinn squeezed her hand, dropping her eyes shyly. "So... We can figure it out, together?"

"I'd like that."

The two exchanged shy but excited smiles, staring at each other a moment before a phone went off.

"It's my Dad, I've got to go... Apparently we're going to dinner tonight."

"See you in the morning?" Santana asked as she grabbed her things to exit the vehicle.

Quinn blushed and nodded, "Yeah, bye Santana."

"Bye, Q." The brunette said before closing the door, she waved and watched the red car until it disappeared.

Santana had barely made it inside when she noticed her Mother reading on the couch.

"Hola, Mija. How was school?" Maribel asked, closing her book.

"Good." Santana said, flashing her Mother a wide smile as she closed and locked the front door.

When her Mother remained silent, Santana had assumed that she had returned to her book. She was halfway up the stairs when her Mother spoke up again. "Santana, are you still on the pill?"

The younger brunette came to an abrupt stop, her cheeks flushing.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I am, Mami." She snapped, gripping the railing as her Mother chuckled.

"Good, just double checking. You're glowing."

Santana rolled her eyes, "Mami... It isn't like that." She grumbled, knowing very well that even if they were doing _that_ , Quinn couldn't get her pregnant.

"If you say so..." Maribel said, shrugging as her daughter stomped her way up the rest of the steps.

xxx

Santana's good mood continued for the rest of the night, only being disrupted when her phone finally went off to signal a new text.

At fist she was excited by the name that appeared on her screen but it faded as soon as the message was open.

 _ **Fabgay:** _ _Hey, you're going to need to find another ride, something came up._

The brunette's eyebrows furrowed, "Something _came up_?" She thought aloud, her heart sinking when she thought about it more. "What came up that needs to be done at 6:30 in the morning?"

She typed out a quick reply before sliding under the covers.

 _ **Satan:** _ _Okay, thanks for the heads up... Goodnight, Q._

xxx

The next morning, after her Mom dropped her off, Santana quickly made her way into the building. She immediately made her way to her locker to grab her books for her morning classes.

She glanced over toward Quinn's locker, smiling and forgetting about the night before when she caught sight of the blonde.

"Hey." The brunette said, approaching the other girl.

"Hi." Quinn said quickly, keeping her eyes trained on her books. Santana shifted nervously from one foot to the other as the silence grew awkward between them.

Her lips curved into a frown as Quinn shut her locker suddenly, the blonde's cold eyes meeting her own briefly.

"I've got to go." She muttered before pushing passed the shorter girl and walking quickly down the hallway.

Santana stared after her, hurt and confusion clouding her features.

xxx

The rest of the day dragged on slowly and Quinn continued to ignore her in their mutual classes.

The icing on the cake was when Artie and Brittany preformed in front of the Glee Club together before making their relationship publicly official.

The news went over well with the rest of the group and Santana had actually managed to quietly congratulate the two without grimacing too much.

Brittany had smiled broadly and bobbed her head toward the brunette as she and her boyfriend reclaimed their spots in the front row.

The only highlight of the period was the fact that she was briefly able to catch Quinn's eye. The blonde had smiled sadly before she seemed to catch herself. She had then hastily turned her attention back to where Rachel was preforming in the middle of the room.

The warmth that had filled Santana's chest during the brief moment quickly faded as Quinn's Ice Queen facade fell back into place.

The blonde's moment of weakness that day was the first of many and although she remained silent, her eyes spoke volumes.

By lunch on Wednesday, Santana had caught her staring well over ten times. Each time she had, Quinn had been staring at her with what looked like sadness and regret. The look had twisted her insides and left her feeling gutted but she couldn't help but want to see her.

It hadn't even been a full two days since Quinn's odd behavior had begun but Santana missed her immensely. Even taking away the confusing new feelings developing between the two of them, she had not been this close to the other girl in years.

"Yo, did Shelby text you?" Puck asked as he slid into the chair beside the brunette and snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Uh, yeah... She did." Santana said, pushing the food around on her plate.

"So... That means we're on for Friday, then?" He asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Yeah."

The mo-hawked boy rolled his eyes, "Not you too."

"What?"

"Quinn is in one of her moods and you're being all quiet."

"She's been acting that way with you, too?" She asked, perking up slightly.

"Uhm, where have you been? She's acting like that with _everyone_."

Santana shrugged and chewed on the inside of her cheek.

"Anyway, chin up." Puck said, patting her on the back heartily. "I'll drive us to Shelby's after practice on Friday, you should see if you can ask Q if she wants to tag along." He said before rising from his chair and heading back to the table he had come from.

She stared after the boy with a frown, doubting that Quinn would give her the time of day let alone time enough to ask her a question.

xxx

Santana sighed and shrugged on a fresh tee shirt as she waited for Quinn to finish in the shower. Although sharing the Captaincy meant that Quinn had to talk to her, things were still tense. The tension between the two of them had begun to affect the team and Santana was honestly surprised that Sue had not said anything about it.

The brunette glanced up at the sound of approaching footsteps and zipped her gym bag closed as Quinn rounded a row of lockers.

"Hey, uhm, Puck was wondering if you'd like to tag along with us to Shelby's on Friday." She asked quickly, surprised that it didn't come out a completely jumbled mess. She figured the faster she got it out, the better. Besides, Quinn was pretty much naked which meant that she had to stick around long enough to change.

Although she wasn't staring at the blonde directly, she could tell that the other girl had tensed at the question.

Quinn remained silent while she changed and Santana nervously fidgeted with the strap of her bag as clothing rustled nearby.

"I can't." The blonde said finally, turning as she pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail.

Although her nerves were still making her palms clammy, Santana's temper flared into existence at the simple response.

She breathed in deeply, exhaling it through her nose before responding. "Why?"

Quinn sighed heavily and snatched up her things before meeting the brunette's gaze. "I just can't, Santana."

She tried to move passed the shorter girl but Santana caught her arm firmly. "Quinn, what's wrong? What's going on with you?" She asked, her anger quickly deflating at the sadness in the blonde's eyes.

There was always some level of sadness there, hidden away within those hazel depths. Most people didn't even notice it anymore, they just assumed that it was the way she looked, Santana knew better.

The sadness that was there now was new, it suggested a still open wound for the open girl.

"I-it's nothing, don't worry about it, Santana." She said quickly, averting her eyes as she tried to pull her arm free of the brunette's grip.

"You're lying, Q. Just _talk_ to me." She begged, bringing her free hand up to cup the blonde's cheek.

"Is this about what happened between us...? We don't have to... It doesn't have to be like that. I just want my _friend_." She said, her voice cracking slightly over the words.

She was sad to see the possibility of them being more slipping away but she refused to lose her best friend just after rediscovering her.

Something flashed quickly through the blonde's eyes but it was gone as quickly as it came. "It's not that simple." She said, shaking her head, the furrow in Santana's brow deepened.

"It doesn't have to be complicated, Quinn. Please, don't push me away... Not again, not after what we've overcome."

"It is _very_ complicated, Santana. I just... I can't right now, okay?"

"But why?" Santana asked, her voice rising as the blonde tried to turn to leave.

Quinn spun back around, her eyes flashing angrily. "Because I see the way you've been looking at her, Santana. I'm always going to be second best to her!"

Santana blinked, hurt crossing her features as she processed the words. "I don't... I thought we just talked about this?"

Quinn laughed, the sound was low and sarcastic. "Your words mean nothing if you can't back it up. I have to go." She said firmly, finally tugging her arm free.

"What can I do to fix this?" Santana asked, moving to follow the blonde.

Quinn remained silent, her jaw set as she stalked toward the door.

Santana was about to press again for an answer when Quinn's ring tone blared loudly. She sighed, flashing the brunette a warning glare as she dug the device from her bag.

"Hello? Yes Daddy, yes. I am just heading to the parking lot now."

Santana frowned, lingering in the doorway as the blonde continued down the hall.

The brunette quickly moved back into the locker room to collect her things before heading out herself to wait for her Mother.

xxx

"You're quiet, Mija. What's wrong?" Maribel asked as she pulled into their driveway. The ride had been tense and every time the older brunette had tried to initiate conversation it had been met with one word answers.

"Nothing."

"Santana Diabla Lopez, do not lie to your Mother." Maribel tutted as they exited the car, Santana sighed as her Mother held open the door for her so that she could head inside first.

"Take your things upstairs and get comfortable if you'd like... Then meet me in the living room."

The younger brunette did as she was told before hesitantly making her way back downstairs.

Maribel looked up as she heard her daughter approaching, she closed her book before placing it down on the coffee table.

The older woman frowned, confused by Santana's tentative behavior and fidgeting. The two sat in silence for several minutes before the younger woman finally spoke up.

"I'm worried that... I messed up. That I made a mistake that might have cost me _both_ of my best friends."

"I see. Does this have to do with a boy?" Maribel asked, ducking her head down slightly to try and meet Santana's gaze.

Her daughter shook her head and remained quiet for a minute as she considered her wording.

"Mami... I love," She sighed and ran an unsteady hand through her hair. "I love girls, the way that I should love boys." She raised her nervous eyes slowly to meet her Mother's and was relieved to find only affection.

"Your Father and I always knew that you were different, Mija, we just weren't sure in what way." Her Mother said, giving her hand a quick squeeze. "We will always love you, regardless of who you love."

Santana's eyes burned with unshed tears as she leaned in to hug her Mother.

"Now Mija..." Maribel started as she slowly broke their embrace, "What is this mistake you made? Loving someone is never a _mistake_ , a lesson maybe... But only a mistake if you do not learn from it."

Santana wiped at her cheeks and laughed slightly. Had she really learned anything from her experience with Brittany? She had barely called things off with her one friend just to move on and complicate things with another.

She wasn't even sure what was going on with Quinn. And while she had been in the blonde's body she had picked up on what seemed to be a crush. Had the other girl's feelings influenced her own? Would she have ever felt more for Quinn if none of that would have happened?

It was no wonder Quinn was acting the way she was, not only did she have to contend with gay panic but also those confusing thoughts. At least she was a little further along with sorting out her feelings over her sexuality, even if she was still coming to terms with it.

"I- Brittany and I had feelings for each other. We didn't deal with emotions much at first..." Santana mumbled, her cheeks darkening slightly.

Maribel rolled her eyes with a chuckle, "It's alright Mija, as long as you're being safe and smart."

Santana nodded and sucked in a deep breath before continuing. "We wanted to try and be more but I was scared and confused..."

Maribel squeezed her hand but remained silent so that she could continue. "Brittany is always so carefree about things, you know? She didn't get what the big deal was. She didn't think anyone would care and wanted us to be open to everyone about our relationship."

"People can be cruel, Mija. But Brittany does have a point... Their ignorance should not keep you from _your_ happiness. It may take time for some people to accept the idea but the people who love you, will love you regardless."

Santana nodded, still overwhelmed by her Mother's positive response.

"Brittany loves _people_ and although she had feelings for me... She was hurt by my indecisiveness and I didn't have it in me to make her wait... I didn't want to keep _hurting_ her."

Maribel nodded sadly, "I see... What does this have to do with Quinn, Mija? Does she not accept you now that you've told her?"

Santana's eyes widened and she quickly shook her head. "No, no. She is fine with it, _very_ okay with it actually."

The older brunette's lips quirked up in amusement. "So my daughter is just popular then? Why am I not surprised."

" _Mami_..." Santana whined and her Mother held up her hands innocently in response.

Santana cleared her throat before starting again, "Quinn and I have gotten close again as you've noticed... And I started to piece together that she had feelings for me. We were going to take things slow and try to figure things out, together... But now she's shutting me out and Brittany is with Artie. And neither of them are talking to me."

Maribel nodded slowly, "Sounds complicated."

Santana laughed sarcastically, "You have _no_ idea." She said, thinking back to everything else that had happened over the last few weeks.

"It sounds like both of them need time, Quinn especially. She sounds like she is where you were... And maybe she just needs to sort it out on her own. You just need to give her time and space to sort it out, Mija."

Santana nodded, biting the inside of her cheek as she squeezed her Mother's hand. "Thank you. For everything, Mami."

"Of course, Santana. Never forget that your Father and I love you. You can come to us whenever you need someone to talk to." She nodded and leaned in to hug her Mother tightly.

xxx

"Quinnie, dinner!"

The blonde sighed and emerged from her room as her Father's voice called from the first floor.

She slid into her seat silently and stared at her plate as her Father said grace.

"How was school today, Quinnie?" Russell asked as he cut into his steak, Quinn glanced up before dropping her eyes back down to her food.

"Fine."

"You didn't talk to that girl, did you?" Her Father asked, pointedly narrowing his eyes in her direction.

Judy stiffened at the question and her hand tightened around her glass but she remained silent.

"No Daddy, not unless it was necessary." Quinn said, taking a bite of her own food.

"Necessary, why would it be _necessary_?"

"We have some classes together and she is the Co-Captain of the Cheerio's, Daddy."

"From what I've seen, you lead them well enough on your own. I don't see why they would need that harlot bouncing around up front."

Judy placed her glass down loudly, her fingers trembling against it. "I'm sure she must have some skill if Ms. Sylvester appointed her to the position. She isn't one for hand outs."

A small smile played at Quinn's lips as Russell's jaw tightened to his wife's defiant response.

He mumbled something under his breath before continuing his meal, not bothering Quinn with anymore questions.


	10. Chapter 10

_It had been foolish, really, to think that she could keep Beth from her Father. He was a naturally suspicious person and had checked her email and social networking sites in the past. Quinn had been avoiding Facebook, not purposely but with everything that had been going on, it just hadn't been priority._

_She had not realized that Shelby had slipped up in their normal routine, accidentally tagging the young Mother in the pictures she had gotten the day Quinn and Santana had visited._

_Her Father had called her to his study shortly after she had gotten home from Santana's. She knew something was wrong as soon as she met his cold gaze and noticed his set jaw._

_"Take a seat." Russell said firmly and Quinn had silently obeyed._

_"...What's wrong, Daddy?"_

_"What's wrong?" He echoed back, incredulously. "I'll tell you what's wrong!" He cried, leaning forward and bringing the meat of his hand down loudly against his desk._

_"You've been visiting t-that... Abomination!" He sputtered angrily, his face flushing with his fury._

_Quinn's heart stuttered in her chest and her gut twisted painfully. She felt as though all of the air had been sucked from her lungs. "H-how?"_

_"That woman tagged you on Facebook and you were with that Mexican girl, too! What are you thinking, Quinnie?" He asked, disgust twisting his already hardened features._

_Quinn glanced toward her lap, her fingers twisting in the fabric of her bag as she fought to keep the tears burning her eyes at bay._

_"I forbid you from seeing that woman and that thing again."_

_"That thing is my daughter and she has a name. It's Beth." Quinn responded softly but firmly._

_"That child was and still is a mistake, you don't need to offer it or its Mother your charity."_

_"My charity? What does that even mean, Daddy? Shelby has been gracious enough to let me see Beth, I want to see her!" Quinn bit back, her voice rising and gaining strength._

_She was surprised when her Father did not respond at first and her eyes slowly rose to meet his. He was visibly trembling and his hands were clutched into tight fists on the top of his desk._

_"You are not to talk to that woman again." He repeated evenly, "Or that Mexican, unless it is for school."_

_Her eyes fell back to her lap as he continued, "If I find that you have disobeyed me again, you will lose the privileged of using your car."_

_Quinn's eyes flicked back to her Father's, the hard edge was now mostly gone. The lines that had twisted across his face had also relaxed considerably._

_"I will also keep the money we have been putting away for your college tuition." Now she knew why his expression had made such a large shift, he knew he had won the argument._

_She could survive without her car and she could also get a job to pay for school. It was the combination of the two that would make things difficult. She would have to find a job close enough to a bus route and would have to quit Cheerio's. The squad was one of her best chances to get a full or at the very least, partial scholarship but without it being a guarantee she couldn't risk it. She needed to get out of this town and he knew it all too well._

_The girl sat still, feeling smaller than she ever had in the overly large chair. "Yes, Daddy."_

Quinn blinked, her own words echoing in her mind as she slammed her car door closed. She wanted to talk to them, _both_ of them but she had to be careful. She needed to have a plan first, because of the consequences.

Her Father's own suspicious tendencies had transferred onto her, unfortunately. She felt as if he was always watching now.

Quinn sighed, it was going to be much easier to explain the situation to Shelby, once she figured out _how_ to contact her without being caught.

Santana on the other hand... Would be much easier to pull aside during school hours but Quinn doubted that the other girl would even believe her right now. She had slipped up, voicing her ever present insecurities about Brittany. In that moment, her frustration had shifted to fear and anger. She had used the words to push the other girl away so that she would have time to think.

She was worried that she had pushed too hard.

Quinn ignored the muted conversations in the hall around her as she made her way to her locker. Her eyes flicked over toward Santana, the brunette looked sad and extremely tired.

Santana caught her staring but just like the many times before, Quinn kept their eyes locked. The only difference was that she lingered longer this time and didn't look away first. An apology lodged in her throat.

She shook her head when Santana looked away, back to her things. _"Who am I kidding?"_ The blonde thought as she turned back to her own locker.

They hadn't changed _that_ much, Santana was still the same stubborn and quick tempered girl. If she found out about Quinn's situation she would no doubt find a very big way of getting involved.

That was the opposite of what Quinn needed, she needed time and a plan.

xxx

"So what's up for tomorrow?" Puck asked as he caught up to Santana in the crowded hallway.

"She's not coming."

"What? Why not?" The Mo-hawked boy asked, his dark brows high on his forehead.

Santana sighed, "I don't know. She didn't exactly want to talk."

Puck frowned, "I thought you two were... You know, getting closer and shit?"

The shorter brunette shrugged and stared blankly ahead, "What'd you do to fuck that up, Lopez?"

She stopped suddenly, her dark eyes flashing. "Shut the fuck up, Noah!"

He stopped beside her, his hands up, palms out. "Woah, what's with the hostility?"

Despite her obvious disadvantage in height, Santana managed to step toward him menacingly. "Out of the two of us, I am definitely not the one who fucked up with Quinn." She snarled before stalking away and down the hall.

Puck watched her until she disappeared around the corner, his lips set into a frown.

xxx

While she wanted space, Quinn was beginning to think that Santana was _ignoring_ her. Sure, they had locked eyes a few times throughout the day but Santana had started to look away more quickly.

The blonde wondered if Santana was actually trying to give her what she had asked for, or if she was just trying to get her to cave and talk.

Despite their improved relationship, they had always had some ulterior motive behind their interactions. Keeping that in mind, Quinn had made sure to be as handsy as possible in practice.

The two of them were cleaning up after when Santana finally broke her silence on the matter.

"What the fuck, Quinn? Why are you doing this? _You_ wanted space." The brunette snapped, folding her arms over her chest.

"I don't know what it is that I'm doing, Santana." Quinn responded evenly, bending down to pick up a cone.

"Right. Well, I'd love to give you what you want... Quinn. And what you wanted is space. Unless that's changed?" She asked, stepping closer as the other girl straightened up.

The blonde bit her lip, "No, it hasn't." She confessed, her eyes dropping to the turf below.

She didn't see Santana purse her lips, "Figured. Don't play games with me, Q."

Quinn's fingers tightened on the mesh bag in her hand. Obviously she had been wrong, maybe Santana _had_ changed...

"Okay." She said quietly, her teeth still worrying her lip. "What happened earlier, between you and Puck?" She asked, her voice soft.

Quinn didn't need to be looking directly at the brunette to see her body stiffen.

"Don't worry about it." Santana responded curtly, her anger toward the Mo-hawked boy flaring back up in her chest.

"I've already heard bits and pieces, Santana. I want to hear it from _you_."

The shorter girl grit her teeth, a new anger twisting in her stomach. She thought back to the way Quinn's body had reacted toward Puck, temporarily making her forget her anger with him while she had inhabited it.

"How is it that you can overlook what he did?" She asked suddenly, her voice sharp. Santana narrowed her eyes when Quinn remained silent, "He took advantage of you, he ra-"

Quinn shook her head, "N-no, we both made a mistake..."

The brunette's jaw flexed, "He knew what he was doing, Quinn. You aren't the only one he has done it to. You're just the only one that we know of who has ended up pregnant..." She added in a lower voice.

"He's my friend, _our_ friend, he wouldn't do that..." Quinn argued weakly, her insecurities rising to the surface.

"Our friend? Maybe he's _your_ friend now, thanks to Beth and his guilt. He knows that he almost broke up your family. He knows what it is like to not have a Dad. He wants to be there for Beth and he didn't want to be the reason that your Dad left. That's it. Don't give him more credit than he deserves."

Quinn's eyes were still trained on the turf and Santana could see the tears welling up. She knew that the blonde was a lot like herself in the fact that they were surrounded by a lot of false friends. The girls talked to them at school and came to their parties but it was all for the popularity and gossip.

They all just wanted to be popular and many of them would turn on their Captains if a good opportunity presented itself.

She knew that Quinn only really allowed a few people to see the real her. Puck had taken advantage of that and if Quinn wouldn't hate him for it, she would.

"He doesn't deserve your forgiveness... I get you wanting to keep the peace for Beth but you have to do what's good for you too." The brunette said gently, stepping closer to take the mesh bag from Quinn.

"How can you say all of this? You told me that I _stole_ your man, where were you when I was pregnant? When I needed my best friend?" Quinn asked, her voice cracking over the words.

Santana paused, regret darkening her features. "I was an idiot. I tried to keep him from you and Brittany... And I fucked that up both times. I was hurt, angry and immature. I should have been there. I'm sorry." She said, angling her body away as her own tears burned her eyes. She didn't deserve Quinn's forgiveness either.

The blonde watched silently as Santana collected the rest of the cones before heading inside. She may not have said it aloud but she knew that the other girl was right, no matter how much she wanted to believe otherwise.

xxx

"How was school today?" Maribel asked as she drove toward their home.

"Okay. You don't need to pick me up tomorrow... Puck and I are going to help Shelby move some furniture from a storage unit."

The older woman arched a slender brow, "I thought you didn't like that boy anymore?"

"I don't. He's a pig, I'm just doing it to help Shelby."

Maribel nodded and remained silent for a moment before speaking up again. "Is Quinn going?"

Santana sighed, she had been expecting that question. "No."

"She doesn't want to see Beth?"

Santana shrugged, "She couldn't go, wouldn't say why."

The girl watched her Mother give another quiet nod before getting lost in thought. The older woman's 'thinking face' worried her but she didn't bother asking. She wasn't sure that she wanted to know right now. She was emotionally and physically drained and just wanted to get home for an early night in.

xxx

Santana woke up Friday less than enthused. She was not looking forward to spending her evening with Puck, especially after their blowout the day before.

Her day passed slowly and Santana found that the only person she could talk to was Tina.

"I'm sorry, I really thought those cookies would help... If they even worked at all."

"They did, for a little." Santana said, leaning back in her chair as she pulled her hair up into her signature high pony. "Don't worry about it, I don't even know what is going on with her really. How're you doing?"

Tina smiled, "Better, thanks. I really like Mike, it was just confusing at first... Seeing Artie with someone else."

"I know what you mean..." Santana said, her eyes flicking toward where Brittany was eating nearby.

Tina smiled sadly, "So you two _were_ together."

It wasn't a question and the lack of surprise sent fear streaking through the Cheerleader.

"What?"

"You and Brittany, you two were dating... Weren't you?" Tina asked, clearly second guessing herself a little now.

"Uhm, kind of..." Santana responded quietly, glancing around her as heat rose up the back of her neck.

"What's wrong?" Tina asked, tilting her head to the side slightly.

Santana leaned in toward the other girl, "You're cool with that...? I mean, you don't think that it's weird?"

Tina barked out a small laugh, "No, of course not! Kurt is gay and we all still love him."

Relief flooded Santana and she shook her head slightly. "I wouldn't say that _love_ Lady Hummel." She corrected playfully.

Tina rolled her eyes but smiled regardless. "Don't lie, Satan."

The two laughed before Santana grew serious again. "Do you think that anyone else knows?"

The other girl quickly sobered up as well. "Yeah, they do... You two were adorable but uhm..."

"But what?"

"You were kind of obvious... With all of that pinky linking and eye sex." A blush crept over Santana's cheeks and Tina smiled sympathetically. "You were obvious to us Gleeks, I can't speak for the rest of the school though."

"Yeah." Santana said, feeling a little better that it might not have been school wide knowledge. "I'm just, I'm still figuring stuff out... You know?"

Tina nodded, "I understand. Just remember, we'll be there for you." The younger girl offered with a genuine smile.

"Thanks, Girl-Chang. You're okay. Just no more baking experiments." Santana said, her voice serious despite the small smile that was tugging at her lips.

xxx

"You ready to go?" Puck asked stiffly, slamming the trunk door of his Jeep shut.

"Yeah." Santana said, walking passed the boy and hopping into the passenger seat without another word.

"We going to talk about this, Lopez? Or are we going to be like this all night?"

"It's not just tonight, Puck." Santana corrected with a sigh, "My feelings might change momentarily if I forget what you did... But then I remember and I can't see you differently."

She watched hard lines etch themselves across his profile. "She's forgiven me, why can't you?"

"She shouldn't have." Santana responded simply, averting her attention to the scenery moving passed her window.

She had not forgiven him and she did not plan to.

xxx

"Thank you guys, so much. I'll bring some drinks out, any preference?"

"Water, please." Santana said, wiping her brow as she jumped down from the passenger side of the U-Haul.

Puck nodded in agreement, as he tightened the bandana around his forehead. "Yeah. Same here, please. We're going to start unloading this." He said, patting the trailer beside him.

A few minutes later, Shelby re-emerged from her home with three water bottles and a baby monitor.

She gave an impressed whistle as she watched the teens unload part of her bench swing for her garden. "You guys work quick!"

They had already unloaded a couch for her basement, four plastic lawn chairs and her chiminea.

"Not much daylight left." Puck said as they made their way back for the other pieces of the swing.

Shelby frowned as she settled herself down on her porch steps, "You guys don't have to do it all today..."

"You only have the storage unit till the end of the month, right?" Santana asked, pausing by the truck.

"Well, yes..."

"We want to help you so you don't have to pay for another month." The younger brunette said with a smile, "Don't worry, we've got this."

xxx

Two hours and a water bottle and a half later, Santana and Puck were unloading the last piece of furniture.

"Thank God this is the last of it..." Puck huffed as they carried Shelby's stone table out into the back yard. Santana looked toward the older woman but she was busy playing around on her phone.

"Anywhere specific you'd like this?" She asked, glancing toward the phone curiously when she noticed Shelby's upset expression.

"Uh, could you put it up here...?" She answered quickly, motioning toward the empty space toward the far corner of the porch.

"What's wrong with her?" Puck asked in a hushed whisper as they carefully made their way up the steps with the heavy table.

"I don't know. I'll ask her when we're done here if you want to go check on Beth." She offered, also for her own sanity. She had spent the entire evening with the Mo-hawked boy and she really wanted some time away from him before they were stuck alone in his Jeep again.

"Sure." Puck said, giving a slight shrug of his shoulders as they rotated the table into position before setting it down. "Do you want any help with the chairs?" He asked, his eyes flicking quickly toward the door that led inside.

"Nah, I got it." She said, waving him off before heading back into the yard for the matching chairs. On her way back up, she noticed that Shelby was no longer playing around with her phone.

"What's up?" Santana asked as she slid the metal chair into place.

"It's just... I've been trying to get a hold of Quinn since yesterday and she hasn't returned any of my calls or texts."

Santana bit the inside of her cheek and waited for the older brunette to continue.

"And while I don't think that she would do this... It rings once or twice before sending me to voicemail... She isn't avoiding me, is she?" Shelby asked, disappointment evident in her tone.

"I don't know." Santana confessed, "I mean... I hope not. She seemed so happy to be spending time with Beth and I know she appreciates everything you're doing for her and Puck."

"So she hasn't said anything to you at all?"

"No." Santana breathed out in a sigh, "She's been... Distant and upset the last few days."

"I see." Shelby said with a frown, "I'm going to try her again quick. Thank you, Santana. Meet me in the kitchen and I will have a fresh drink for you."

Santana nodded before she made her way back down to where the other three chairs were still sitting. Regardless of what was going on between her and Quinn, she hoped that the blonde wouldn't ruin her chance to stay in Beth's life.

Sighing, the brunette made quick work of the chairs before making her way inside. The sliding glass doors led in from the porch and into the dining room. The room itself was dark, the only light was spilling in from the kitchen and the fading sunlight from outside. Santana slid the glass door closed behind her and slipped her shoes off on the mat before padding toward the kitchen.

Shelby was leaning against her kitchen counter, facing away from the younger woman. Her body was rigid, her spine perfectly straight. Her cell phone was pressed to her ear and although she couldn't hear the words being said, she could tell that the man on the other side of the line was yelling.

She stood there silently over the threshold of the two rooms for several minutes as the call continued. Shelby tried speaking up a few times but fell quiet each time.

Finally, Shelby uttered a quick and annoyed goodbye. Her head turned to look over her shoulder as Santana stepped closer.

"I thought you were calling Quinn?" She asked, not really caring if she seemed rude.

"I did." Shelby said, angling her body so that she was facing the shorter brunette. "That was Mr. Fabray that I was speaking to."

"Russell? Why would he..." Santana's eyes widened then as realization dawned on her.

"He said that Quinn doesn't want to see me or Beth anymore."

Santana shook her head, "He's lying. _He_ doesn't want her seeing Beth, he's a control freak."

Shelby's features softened a little, sadness obvious in her brown eyes. "Are you sure about that? I thought that I wanted to be in Rachel's life too but it was too difficult for me."

Santana nodded and rubbed at the back of her neck. "I understand that but Quinn, she's different..." She averted her eyes from Shelby's and noticed the keys laying between them on the counter. "Are those Puck's?" She asked, eying the worn metal as she waited for a response.

"Yes, they are... Why?" Shelby asked, watching as Santana lurched forward to grab them.

"I've got to go see something... Tell him I'll be back soon." She said hurriedly, moving for the front door. She heard Shelby call after her but she ignored the woman as she rushed outside.

It was only about a fifteen minute ride to the Fabray home but she was sure it only took her nine.


	11. Chapter 11

Santana sucked in a deep unsteady breath. She quietly shut the door to Puck's Jeep as she glanced toward the light emanating from the Fabray home.

The curtains were drawn but she could see silhouettes of people moving around inside. As she approached she realized that they belonged to Quinn and Russell. The closer she got to the front door, the more clear their voices became.

Russell was clearly livid, his angry voice carrying easily outside but she couldn't quite make out what he was saying.

Santana frowned as she paused on the front porch, her stomach twisting at what she heard next. Again, she couldn't make out what was being said but Quinn sounded extremely distressed.

The brunette steeled herself, inhaling deeply one last time and exhaling slowly through her nose before lifting her hand to knock. There was a brief lapse in the talking inside before she heard someone quickly approaching the door.

She wasn't at all surprised to see Russell when the door was finally pulled open. The man glared down his nose at her, his jaw set firmly.

"Uhm, hello, sir. I need to talk to Quinn..." Santana said quickly, keeping her eyes on his.

"She can't talk right now." Russell said, his voice hinting that he wouldn't budge on the topic.

The brunette chewed on the inside of her cheek for a moment, glancing passed the man to his daughter. Quinn's eyes were wide at the sight of her and rimmed red from crying. Santana shook her head and placed her hand on the door to halt Russell's attempt to close it.

"Look, I know you don't like me. And quite frankly, I don't blame you. I haven't always been a good friend to your daughter and I won't try to say that I am a good person." She started, her eyes once again meeting his. "Quinn though, she is a good person and she deserves better. She deserves a good friend. She's been there for me and that's why I can't leave."

She watched as Russell's jaw flexed again, his eyes twitching to the side as if he wanted to glare at his daughter but his face stayed trained in her direction.

"If you don't leave, I will call the police on you." He said firmly, his grip tightening on the doorknob.

Judy inhaled sharply from inside, breaking the silence that followed the statement. Santana glanced toward the older woman but Judy's eyes were trained on her husband's rigid form.

"Daddy, please-"

"Quinn, stay out of this."

"No." Quinn said, taking a few steps closer to the door and crossing her arms over her chest. "Santana is my friend, my best friend. I love her." She added, her voice a little quieter but still just as firm.

Russell turned then, his thick brows scrunching together on his forehead as he absorbed what his daughter had just said. Ignoring the man between them, Santana watched Quinn closely as she stared her Father down.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked, although the tone in his voice and his still rigid form spoke toward the fact that he already knew exactly what she had meant by her words.

"I mean, I love her." Quinn repeated, her voice strong but still soft.

"Get out." Russell said suddenly, his body trembling as he glared at the blonde.

"Daddy-"

"No. Get out." Russell repeated, opening the door wider and stepping back as Quinn began to cry again. "You are not my little girl, I did not raise this stranger I am looking at now."

Santana glanced toward Judy again as Quinn's world shattered in front of them. The Mother's face was ashen, her lips drawn into a deep frown.

"Quinnie, your Father is right."

Santana's mouth opened to protest and she looked between the blondes as Quinn turned her attention toward her Mother.

"Santana, could you please give my Daughter a ride? Russell and I need to have a more private conversation."

The brunette nodded mutely, and glanced toward the other girl. Tears were tracking freely down the blonde's flushed cheeks and she was covering her mouth with her hands. "Quinn... Come with me, please?" Santana said softly, extending her hand toward her friend.

The other girl remained rooted to the spot for a moment, her eyes shifting between her parents who were stiffly staring each other down before finally moving toward the door and Santana.

The two were quiet as Santana closed the door as quickly and carefully as she could. Inside she could barely make out the conversation picking back up inside.

"You're okay with it? What she said?" She heard Russell ask, his voice incredulous.

"How can I judge her?" Judy responded calmly, "I married my best friend. I loved you once just the same."

Santana swallowed thickly and glanced back toward Quinn, the taller girl had her arms drawn tightly across her chest. Her back was turned to the brunette and her head was tilted back slightly as if she was looking up at the sky. It was darker now, a faint line of light across the horizon was the only sign that the sun had even been up at all.

"We need to go..." Santana said, brushing her clammy palms against her pants as she approached the other girl. Quinn nodded mutely but didn't budge otherwise, her eyes still trained on the newly emerged stars.

Santana chewed on the inside of her cheek and fished the keys to Puck's Jeep out of her pocket, she moved to the vehicle alone and started it, trusting the blonde to follow. She did after a moment and the two rode silently back to Shelby's home.

The silence was broken when Santana was putting the vehicle in park by a low chuckle from the passenger seat.

"I knew it was coming... You'd think it would hurt less." Quinn said bitterly, her eyes still gazing out the window. "He almost left before, when he found out about Beth... Mom talked him out of it, convinced him to stay."

"She shouldn't have had to convince him, Q. You guys deserve better." Santana said, reaching across the center console to place her hand over the other girl's.

The cab was silent again for a moment before Quinn let out a small sigh, "I know." With that, the blonde stepped back out into the cool air and made her way up to the front porch. Santana watched silently as she knocked, her own fingers flexing against the metal of the keys in her hand before pulling from the ignition.

xxx

Santana sat rigidly on Shelby's couch, listening to the soft voices coming from down the hall.

"Really Quinn, I understand. Santana and I talked about it before she left, I won't hold any of that against you." Shelby's reassuring voice said, calming the brunette's nerves a little.

Her eaves dropping was cut short when Puck flopped down beside her, "What's going on with Quinn? Why was she crying?" He asked, eying Santana closely.

"Her asshole Father didn't want her talking to Shelby or visting Beth." Santana said in a low voice, her dark eyes flicking to meet his.

"So that's why she was acting so weird?" He asked, his thick brows rising slightly.

"Yeah. I went over to try to talk to her and they were arguing about it... He tried to kick her out."

Puck sat up at this, his jaw muscles flexing angrily. "He what?! I mean, I know he tried to kick her out when he heard she was pregnant... But he didn't actually do it."

"Well, he would have this time." Santana said, glancing toward the hallway before continuing.

"What's stopping him?

"Judy." Santana answered simply, "She's finally sick of putting up with him."

Puck nodded slowly as he absorbed the information, a deep frown tugging at his lips. "The guys an asshole... But this is still shitty."

"No kidding." Santana said with a sigh. The two fell silent then, unsure of what else to say. A few minutes later Quinn and Shelby made their way back into the living room to join them. Quinn looked tired but her brief visit with Beth seemed to have relaxed her.

"Thank you again for letting me see her and help you put her to bed."

"It was no problem, thank you for coming by and you too, Santana. For bringing Quinn over." Shelby added, flashing the younger brunette a smile. Santana smiled back weakly before glancing toward Quinn.

"You ready to go?"

Quinn nodded and gave Shelby one last hug before they made their way out onto the porch.

The three teens waved goodbye before getting into Puck's Jeep, Quinn insisting on taking the back seat. The ride was awkward and silent for several minutes before Santana turned on the radio. The brunette scrunched up her nose and began playing with the stations much to Puck's annoyance.

"Sure, just change whatever you'd like." He said sarcastically as he slowed to a stop at a stop sign.

"Don't worry squirrel, I will." Santana sing songed, pausing in her station surfing once she found something a little less rock and a little more pop. She glanced in the rear-view mirror, frowning slightly when she noticed Quinn staring blankly out the window. Light streaming in from a passing street light illuminated the blonde's pale features briefly, highlighting the tears tracking down her cheeks.

Santana had to turn her eyes forward to keep from reaching back and attempting to comfort the other girl. For most people, the action would probably be appreciated. For Quinn however, the wound was still fresh and she would want to handle it on her own. She knew that she would have to wait until the blonde was ready to talk about things.

It had been a struggle to keep her eyes trained forward from that point on but luckily for Santana, the ride wasn't too long. The brunette unclipped her seat-belt as Puck pulled up to the curb outside of her home.

"Thanks for the ride." Quinn said quickly before exiting the vehicle, Santana nodded in agreement before following suit.

"Yeah, thanks. See you Monday." She said, eying him pointedly as she prepared to shut the door.

"I won't say anything to anyone, I swear." He said in a hushed whisper, she nodded her thanks before slamming the door and watching him pull away.

"C'mon, Mom won't mind that you're here. In fact, I think she prefers my company when you are." Santana said as she joined Quinn up on their small porch, her small attempt at humor didn't seem to get much of a response from the other girl though.

The two teens made their way inside, a lamp was lit in the living room but there were no other signs of life on the first floor. Santana shrugged before leading the blonde upstairs. They were almost to her room when they heard footsteps padding across the carpeting behind Maribel's closed door.

"Mija is that you?" The older woman asked before peeking her head out from her room. Her hair was damp and she had donned her reading glasses.

"Yeah Mom, it's me. And Quinn." Santana added, not wanting her mother to find out on her own.

"Santana, come here."

Quinn glanced toward the brunette but Santana waved her on toward her bedroom. "Just go, I'll be back in a sec."

The blonde did as she was told, shutting the door behind her as Santana made her way back down the hall.

"Yes Mami?" She asked, peeking into her mother's room. Maribel was sitting with her back to her headboard, some paperwork strewn across her comforter beside her.

"Care to tell me what's going on?" The older woman asked, one brow arched above the other.

"We're... working things out." Santana said quietly as she shut the door behind her.

"Not on those clean sheets, I hope?" Her mother asked, a small smile quirking at her lips.

"Mami!" Santana hissed, her cheeks flushing slightly. "No, definitely not. She wasn't upset with me... It was her dad. They had a fight earlier..."

The smile was gone from Maribel's lips just as quickly as it had come, "Is everything okay?"

"No." Santana responded sadly, taking a seat at the bottom of the bed. "I think her parents are getting a divorce."

The older woman sighed as she took off her glasses, folding them up before placing them on her nightstand. "She can stay as long as she needs to. I won't say anything but I will make sure that she feels welcome."

"I know Mami. You always make her feel welcome anyway." Santana said, smiling sadly. "Judy said she would call you once she has things sorted out..."

"Okay. Sounds good. Why don't you go and get ready for bed? You look exhausted, Mija."

"You too?" Santana asked, as she rose from her seated position.

"Soon." Maribel answered with a smile as her daughter gave her a quick hug. "I'll see you in the morning, Santana."

Santana nodded, scrunching her features up as she pulled away and her mother snuck in a quick peck to the cheek. She quickly made her way back to her bedroom to get a few things for a quick shower before bed.

Without thinking, the brunette pushed open her door, pausing immediately when she saw Quinn.

"Uhh, sorry."

"It's okay, Santana. It's nothing you haven't seen before."

The brunette swallowed thickly but nodded as she made her way into the room before shutting her door behind her. "I'm just going to grab a change of clothes and a shower."

She kept her eyes trained to the floor as she made her way over to her dresser to grab a pair of shorts, underwear and a tank top. Santana frowned, glancing through the neatly folded items for her favorite pair of sleep shorts.

Glancing toward Quinn, Santana arched a brow when she realized what the blonde was wearing. "Hey, that's my favorite pair..."

"I know." Quinn said, smiling slightly as she slid into the dark sheets with her borrowed clothes. "They're also the most comfortable."

"I know." Santana mumbled, grabbing a different pair before sliding her drawer shut. "You look good in them though, so I'll let you wear them this time..." She added, winking toward the blonde in an attempt to keep her smiling.

xxx

After a nice hot and relaxing shower, Santana finished with her nightly routine. Her hair was still a little more damp than she liked it for sleep so she decided to blow her hair dry too.

Despite the noise, she found Quinn sound asleep by the time she returned to her bedroom.

Tip toeing quietly across the room, Santana smiled fondly down at the blonde as she settled in on the edge of the bed. Quinn was laying on her back, her messy hair partially hiding her face from view.

Santana brushed her fingers across the other girl's brow, gently moving the strands aside. Her own brow furrowing at the still partially damped cheeks she exposed.

The crying had also left a small track of smudged makeup and Santana knew that the other girl would want to freshen herself up. So sucking in a calming breath, she gently shook her friend awake.

Quinn groaned, blinking up at her before rubbing the heels of her palms against her puffy eyes. "What time is it?"

"Late." Santana responded simply, not bothering to look for the actual time. "You should go to the bathroom before you go to sleep. I don't want you to have any accidents."

Quinn shot her a mock glare from around her hands, "Don't worry, I'm potty trained." She muttered sarcastically before sitting up and making her way for the door.

Santana chuckled after her, knowing that the blonde had been doing her best to hide her face so she had tried to keep things between them light. Plus, she had to admit that currently her mind was only focused on how good those shorts looked on the other girl.

xxx

Santana's eyes fluttered open slowly and her mind took a second to catch up with her body. Her room was dark and she wasn't quite sure why she was awake.

Then she heard it, a small whimper.

The body beside her was rigid and shaking, a light sheen of sweat clung to the blonde's pale flesh.

"Quinn?" Santana said as she rolled over, "Quinn, it's okay. You're okay."

She had barely laid a hand on the blonde when the other girl relaxed, literally at her touch. A loud gasp escaped Quinn's parted lips and her eyes snapped open.

"Santana?" She breathed weakly, turning her head slightly toward the brunette.

"Yeah. It's okay, it was just a dream."

There was silence between them for a second, aside from Quinn's attempt to calm her breathing. Just as Santana was about to relax her own posture though, Quinn let out a small sob. "No, it wasn't."

Santana's eyes widened in surprise as the other girl turned around and buried her face in her torso. She hesitated for a moment before wrapping her arms as best she could around the blonde. "...It's alright, it's going to be alright." She whispered, kissing the top of Quinn's head.

xxx

"Girls! Wake up!"

The two teens groaned in unison, Santana burying her head deeper into her pillow.

"I got more bacon!"

Quinn sat up, her hair sticking out every which way. "Santana, come on." She said, her voice still thick with sleep as she pulled the covers back from her friend's body.

The brunette glared out from behind a thick veil of her own hair and watched as Quinn jumped up off of the bed to head for the bathroom.

Several minutes later, the two made their way down into the dining room where Maribel was just sitting down herself.

"Dig in girls!"

Conversation was scarce for the first couple of minutes as the three started their meal and was finally interrupted by Maribel.

"Your Father is coming home tomorrow evening." She started before taking a bite of her toast.

Santana's head perked up at the news and a grin appeared almost instantly. "What time?"

"Later in the evening... Although, he didn't specify because there could be delays."

Quinn smiled, unable to contain it despite the twisting feeling in her stomach. The feeling remained there for the rest of the meal and the conversations between mother and daughter seemed to be merely white noise. The blonde blinked and was brought back to reality when Santana offered to take her plate.

"Are you done?" The other girl repeated, her eyebrows raised slightly in concern.

"Yeah, I'm not feeling well..."

Maribel paused in the threshold that led into her kitchen, "Why don't you two go upstairs and relax? I can get the rest Mija."

"Are you sure?" Santana asked, pausing as Quinn made her way toward the stairs.

"Yes." Maribel said, "You make sure she's okay." The older woman said frowning as she watched her daughter move to go upstairs as well.

xxx

"God, I am so sore. I didn't take the time to think about how much furniture Shelby would have when I offered to help clean out her storage locker..." Santana mumbled from her spot stretched out on her bed.

Quinn smiled slightly, "At least you had some help with Puck."

Santana rolled her eyes, "Yeah, except he has no clue how to organize things when we were putting them in the trailer." Santana frowned and looked toward the blonde when there was no response. The small smile that had graced Quinn's lips was gone, a blank expression left in its wake.

"You okay?"

"Not really." Quinn answered honestly before pausing again. "Do you think we could stop by my house tomorrow? I need to get my backpack, uniform and some clothes."

Santana sat up slightly, "Sure, when do you want to go?"

"I don't know... My mom usually stays late at church, we could just stop in and leave a note... So I guess any time would work."

"Okay, want to study for now then? Just so you have less to do tomorrow?"

"Sure." Quinn said, flashing the brunette another small smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry about the delay guys. We did a lot of house sitting in August and September and at the end of one of the last 10 day house sitting ventures... We took in four kittens. Their mother had abandoned them and we tried to step in to nurse them back to health. Unfortunately we were too late for the smallest two of the litter, and both passed away in their sleep. The first was before we knew something was seriously wrong and the second was a few days after we had taken the three of them to the vet. On top of that, right around the time we lost the first one, I lost my Grandfather on my Step Father's side. I was pretty sad for a while and I also had to take on commissions / art work to make money to pay for bills and our surviving fosters. Our little guests are much healthier and happier now and are almost adopted to their forever home! We've been going through many emails / messages from potential adopters. And now that they're older and don't need to bottle fed or supervised I will hopefully have more time to write. I may still be slow as my day job (UPS) is rather busy around the holidays and I will still be doing artwork but I will be trying to write as much as possible. I missed it. Sorry if I'm a little rusty and I hope that you like it!
> 
> PS, yes, I did include Russell in the story just for this chapter. Sorry. haha...


	12. Chapter 12

"Do you want me to go in with you?" Santana asked as she put her Mother's car in park, Quinn shook her head.

"No, it's okay. I'll only be a few minutes." The blonde offered with a weak smile before exiting the vehicle.

The walk to the front door was over before she realized it. Quinn inhaled deeply, lifting the key to the lock with an unsteady hand. It only took her a second, even with the shaking, to slide it inside and unlock the door.

She exhaled slowly, pushing the heavy door open as she did. It was quiet as she stepped inside. The normal sounds of her Mother bustling about absent. There was no movement or smell from the kitchen, no humming from the living room. Just silence.

Closing the door the rest of the way, Quinn glanced toward the living room. She wasn't surprised to see a box lying open on the floor, her Father's pictures and possessions presumably inside. The room looked so bare without them. It made her realize how little pictures there were with just her and her Mother. They would have to take more, maybe some with Beth.

Sighing, Quinn turned to head for the stairs.

She was so lost in thought as she headed for the second floor that she didn't hear the faint sounds of someone moving around. It was only as she was passing her parents room that she finally noticed it. She paused and pushed the partially shut door open.

Inside Russell jumped and turned abruptly, the creaking sound startling him. "Quinn? You aren't supposed to be here..." He stuttered, blinking at her.

She arched a single brow and thinned her lips into a fine line as if to say ' _neither are you_.' The two stared at each other in silence for a moment before Russell turned to continue what he had been doing.

"Do not tell your Mother you saw me, she would be livid. I am just grabbing some of my things and then I will be leaving."

Quinn stared at his broad back, "Why?"

Russell sighed and glanced over his shoulder toward his Daughter, "Because we're not happy anymore. We haven't been for a while."

She knew that it was true but the words still stung, still made her feel as if it was her fault.

"And," he said, turning more fully to face her. "Your Mother and I cannot agree on how best to raise you."

The sting shot deeper and she knew that he could see her visibly flinch.

"Do you really think you'll be happy with that..." He paused, his fists clenching. "That _girl_?"

She knew that he wanted to say something else, probably more than one word could have easily filled in for the one he'd decided to use.

"Yes. I do." Quinn responded, her voice surprisingly even given the way she was crumbling internally.

"You think that even though you saw her with that other blonde?" He asked, now folding his arms stiffly across his chest.

Quinn blinked in surprise, "How did you...?"

Russell laughed, "I knew you children all thought that we parents are oblivious to what you actually do... But those two were never quiet when they snuck off at your sleep overs. Why do you think I didn't want them in my house? That is disgusting and disrespectful. And they've obviously gotten to you, tainting your mind..."

"No. It is not some form of deviant brainwashing, Daddy. Santana is my friend and I love her. Just because I don't love a boy doesn't mean I am a bad person. I am still your daughter, still the little girl that you raised."

Russell's jaw flexed, "Are you sure? Because I really don't recognize this person standing before me."

Quinn's eyes burned but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. He would take that as a sign of weakness, as a sign that she thought she was wrong. She shook her head as she turned away, exiting the room and pulling the door shut behind her.

xxx

Santana looked up smiling when she heard the front door to the Fabray home open and then shut. The expression quickly faded though when she noticed Quinn's. The blonde looked like she had been crying and she was rushing for the car as if she couldn't get away from her home fast enough.

"Are you okay?" Santana asked as the other girl threw her things onto the back seat, Quinn didn't respond until she was sliding into the passenger seat.

"I'm fine. Let's just go, alright?"

Santana frowned but nodded as she started the engine to do just that. The ride was tense and quiet, Santana knew better to push it. It wasn't until the two of them were tucked away safely in the brunette's room that Quinn opened up.

They had been working quietly on school work for a few hours, shifting between studying, reading and filling in answers.

The room was silent, save for the occasional turning of a page or scribbling of a pencil on paper.

"He was there." Quinn said suddenly, looking up from the text book she had been reading.

Santana put down her pencil and shut her notebook, a frown playing at her lips. "Did he say anything to you?" She tried to hide the venom in her tone but knew that she wasn't doing a good job.

"Yes."

The simple response sent her blood into a boil as she thought back to what she had overheard him say to his Daughter the other night.

"They are definitely getting a divorce..."

This calmed Santana slightly, she had momentarily thought that Judy might have lost her nerve. But while the news came as a relief to her, she knew that it had been what Quinn was dreading.

Realizing that Santana wasn't going to respond, the blonde continued. "He was just getting some of his things... Mom has been packing some of it away too. It will be like he was never there."

Santana frowned and sought out the other girl's hand. "I'm sorry... Maybe that is for the best though, so what happened today doesn't happen again." She might not have known the details but she knew that the blonde was very upset by whatever had been said earlier in the day.

Quinn sighed and leaned into the brunette, she tilted her head down to hide the tears that were welling up. "Yeah."

Silence fell over the room again, making Santana's sharp inhale very obvious. Quinn was cuddling closer, her cold nose moving against the brunette's neck as she squeezed her midsection slightly.

"Q-Quinn..."

"Hmm?" The blonde hummed, her warm breath sending a shiver down the other girl's spine.

Santana swallowed thickly, "You're upset..."

Quinn pulled back to eye the brunette, a small noise of disappointment leaving her as she did.

"I'm not Puck." Santana said seriously before giving the blonde a quick peck on the forehead. "That doesn't mean that I'm not interested... I just want this to be right, for both of us."

Quinn sighed but nodded before resting her cheek on the shorter girl's collar bone. "Me too."

The two stayed like that for a while. Quinn listening to Santana's heartbeat and Santana gently stroking the blonde's hair. As time went on, their bodies began to slip in and out of consciousness.

Santana shifted slightly, stirring the blonde as gently as she could into a semi-conscious state. "Hey, why don't you lay down and get comfy? I'll clear off the bed."

Quinn nodded, her body curling into a loose ball as she burrowed into Santana's now all too familiar pillow.

The brunette smiled when she came back to lie down herself, her eyes tracing the peaceful contours of her friend's face. It seemed there were no nightmares haunting her dreams today.

xxx

Santana stirred slightly, a haze seemed to grip her mind as she returned to the waking world. She could faintly make out that someone was calling her name and there was a knocking coming from somewhere nearby.

"Santana. It is time for dinner."

The girl's eyes blinked open and she squinted toward the light permeating her dark room from the hallway. "Dad?" She asked, her voice thick with sleep.

A chuckle came from the hallway and she sat up quickly, startling Quinn into consciousness as well. "Yes, it's me. I'm finally home. Now get up and come down for dinner. Your Mother is growing impatient."

The door closed a few seconds later and Santana glanced toward her sleepy companion. "Did you hear all of that?" She asked, her voice much brighter with excitement.

"Yeah." Quinn said, a lazy smile pulling at her face as she sat up next to the brunette. She watched as Santana threw back the covers before moving toward her bedroom door.

"I'm going to the bathroom real quick, you need to brush your hair." She said, glancing over her shoulder at her friend as an amused smile tugged at her lips.

Quinn nodded with a smile of her own as she swung her legs over the side of the bed but the expression quickly fell away when Santana finally made her way out of the room.

xxx

"So girls, how has school been for the two of you?"

Santana and Quinn exchanged looks from across the table, both thinking about how insane he'd think they were if they responded truthfully.

"It's been pretty good..." Santana started, "Quinn convinced Sue to let us be Co-Captains of the Cheerios."

A wide smile pulled at Emilio's lips, "That is great news! Santana has been dying to have a bigger role on the team, that was very kind of you to share the role, Quinn."

"She deserves it." Quinn said sincerely, a smile gracing her lips as her eyes met Santana's across the table.

The brunette excitedly filled her Father in on what it was the new position entailed and how well the team seemed to be flourishing. They had there slip up while Quinn wasn't talking to her or Shelby but she left that part out.

The blonde shifted the food around on her plate absently as the conversation moved forward to Emilio's work. She felt out of place and like she was intruding. It had been a long time since he had been able to sit at the dinner table with his family. She swallowed thickly at the thought, realizing suddenly that she would never have this again with her _own_ family.

She blinked, brought out of her thoughts some time later as Santana laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Hey, are you okay? You got quiet for a little while there." She asked, her eyes and tone full of worry.

Quinn faked a smile and nodded, "Yeah... I'm out of it still, sorry. I think that nap just left me more tired."

Santana smiled gently in return although it didn't quite reach her eyes and the blonde knew that she wasn't entirely fooled. "Well, come be more tired in the living room, okay? We're going to watch a movie."

The brunette took her plate and other utensils before giving her enough room to slide out of her chair and make her way to the living room. She settled herself on the couch, guessing Emilio would want his recliner. Sitting alone in the room, Quinn took out her cell phone and typed out a short text before anyone else joined her. By the time Santana appeared, her phone was already tucked away and she patted the spot on the couch beside to her.

The brunette smiled and slid onto the cushion, wrapping one arm around Quinn as the other reached for the remote.

xxx

Santana hit pause, her head turning over her shoulder toward the front door when the doorbell rung loudly. Her eyes moved toward her parents as she rose but they both looked as confused as she did.

"It's for me." Quinn said, standing beside the brunette. "Sorry."

Maribel's lips pulled into a soft smile, "Nothing to be sorry for. It's your Mom?" She asked as Santana moved passed her to answer the door.

Quinn nodded, guilt twisting her stomach. She should have told them but she didn't want to make them feel like they weren't giving her what she needed. It was quite the opposite really, they were giving her more than enough. She just needed to go home, to be with her Mom. She had seen a sad look flash across Santana's features before the other girl had gone to let her Mother in and knew that she was the person who would be hurt the most.

Judy smiled and stepped inside as Santana held open the door for her. "Thank you, dear."

"Hello!" Maribel greeted, standing over the threshold between the foyer and living room. "Why don't you two go upstairs and get Quinn's things together while Judy and I talk?"

Quinn nodded, moving passed the older brunette and toward Santana. Her friend shut the front door before turning for the stairs and the blonde followed silently.

She packed away her school things and whatever else of hers that was loose around the room, Santana's gaze hot on her back.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Santana asked suddenly, her voice quiet.

Quinn paused in what she was doing and glanced back over her shoulder. "I don't know, I'm sorry."

Santana chewed her lip, crossing the room from where she had been leaning against the door to sit on her bed. "It's okay... I just, I feel stupid for not realizing..." Her voice trailed off and her eyes fell to the floor.

"Don't... Please?" The blonde begged, moving closer to the other girl and grabbing her hands in her own. "You and your family are fantastic, loving and kind. You did nothing wrong. You did everything to make me as comfortable as possible."

Santana swallowed and nodded, her eyes still downcast. She laughed, it was a small sound from deep in the back of her throat. "I'm sorry, you're the one who's going through something tough and life changing and I'm acting so selfish." She squeezed the fingers now intertwined with her own, looking up with a small smile. "You do what you need to, go be with your Mom."

Quinn smiled, her eyes burning slightly at the thought of the conversation she knew was coming upon her return home. "Thank you." She breathed, leaning in to place a chaste kiss on Santana's lips.

The brunette's hands came up to frame her face, holding her still as she leaned her forehead against the kneeling girl's. "You don't need to thank me. Just let me know if there's anything I can do, okay?"

Quinn nodded and chewed at the inside of her cheek as she watched Santana slowly pull away. "How do you think tomorrow is going to go?"

The brunette cocked her head to the side slightly, "What do you mean...?"

"Do you think... I mean, no one will know, right?"

"I don't think so." Santana said, her hand covering the one still resting on her knee. "Puck said that he wouldn't say anything... And you know that I won't. It's up to you if you want to tell anyone."

"Yeah..." Quinn said, her eyes dropping to the floor. Santana knew that she was worried about some of the other students that lived in her neighborhood. It wasn't entirely outlandish to think that someone could have noticed Russell coming and going with his things. She did have doubt that they would run their mouths, though. She and Quinn still ruled the halls and now that they were working together again, their classmates were sure to notice... And fall back into line.

She was about to say exactly that when Judy called from downstairs, "Quinn? Are you almost ready?"

"Yeah Mom, coming now." The blonde called back but she didn't rise to her feet right away. Instead she leaned in again, her hands framing Santana's face this time. She pressed her lips much more firmly against the brunette's before pulling away. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Santana blinked, a little caught off guard. She jumped up though when she saw Quinn exiting her room with her things. The two of them made their way downstairs where Judy and Maribel were wrapping up their conversation.

"Thank you again... Please let us know if there's anything that we can ever do for you."

Maribel waved her hand, "No, no... It was our pleasure. You and Quinn are welcome here anytime!" The brunette insisted, sending the younger blonde a smile when she reached the bottom of the steps.

Quinn moved forward and embraced Maribel tightly, "Thank you."

"I mean what I said. You're a good influence on Santana, we love having you around." The older woman whispered sincerely before placing a kiss on Quinn's cheek.

Quinn's hand tightened on the strap of her bag as her eyes met Santana's. She smiled sadly toward the brunette and gave a small wave before she and her Mom walked outside.

Maribel paused on her way back to the living room when Santana hesitated behind her, "You coming, Mija?"

Santana blinked and nodded, before following her Mother out into the living room to finish their movie.

xxx

Santana walked quickly through the halls toward her locker, although her eyes instinctively moved for Quinn's. The blonde wasn't there yet and it left a sinking feeling in the brunette's chest. She entered her combination, almost without thought, before swapping her books out for the ones she'd need for her morning classes.

When she was done, a small smile graced her features when her eyes fell on Quinn. The blonde's back was to her and she appeared to be getting herself ready for class as well.

"Hey." Santana breathed, settling herself against the locker beside Quinn's.

"Morning." The blonde responded, a small smile gracing her lips when her eyes met the shorter girl's. It faded quickly though, and Quinn trapped her bottom lip between her teeth as she double checked that she had the right books.

"How are you holding up?" Santana asked, worry clouding her features.

"Alright. I'm probably just over thinking..." Quinn said with a sigh as she shut her locker.

Santana nodded, "Just... Try to think about it as any other day, okay? And text me if you need me. We can meet up in one of the bathrooms, or something."

Quinn nodded and reached out to capture the brunette's hand before squeezing it. "Thanks. I'll see you at lunch?" She asked, her eyes seeming a little brighter.

"Yeah, see you at lunch Q." Santana said, flashing her a wide smile as her stomach fluttered in response to the contact. The blonde smiled back and released Santana's hand before turning to head for her first class.

xxx

Santana quirked a brow as she took her seat next to Quinn, the blonde was staring off toward where most of the Glee kids were sitting.

"What's on your mind?" She asked, snapping the other girl out of her zoned out state.

"Something is going on with Kurt..."

"Kurt?" Santana asked, her eyes moving over to where Quinn had just been looking. The boy looked ashen and several of the other Gleeks were leaning in around him, concerned.

"I don't know details yet... I've just heard bits and pieces. Apparently something has been going on between him and Karofsky..."

" _What_?" Santana asked, bristling at the thought of the thumb-headed jock picking on Kurt.

Quinn nodded with a small frown, "And here I was worried about my drama..." She whispered, her eyes drifting back toward the other table.

"Hey, your problem is no less stressful than his, okay? They're just... Painful and stressful in a different way. And Kurt has the entire Glee club at his back, he'll get through this... Whatever is going on. And if Dave doesn't lay off of him I'm going to pummel him."

Quinn gave a small laugh, a proud smile stretching across her lips.

"W-what?" Santana asked sheepishly, a blush coloring her cheeks a shade darker.

"Nothing, I'm just glad that you're letting me in... That you are being the real you."

The brunette scoffed and averted her eyes, "No. None of that mushy crap. I'm just feeling scrappy. It's been a while since I last rumbled in the halls."

"Oh?" Quinn said, laughing more. "Did I knock your head against the lockers too hard, Lopez?"

Santana shot her a mock glare, her cheeks still warm from the lingering blush.

"Don't worry... It's a good look for you." Quinn whispered with a wink before taking a bite of her lunch.

xxx

Santana rounded a corner with Quinn, they were on their way to Glee club. The two were chatting about their coming practice when Santana noticed a small crowd building down a ways from them.

"What the fuck..." The brunette mumbled, alerting Quinn to what was going on ahead of them as well.

The two quickened their pace and weren't surprised to find Dave and Kurt were the source of the gawking students.

"Come on, do something about it, _Homo_. Do you really want me to stain your pretty clothes again?" Dave taunted, pinning the smaller boy to the lockers with one hand and brandishing a slushie in the other.

"Yo Karofsky, how about you back off!" Santana cried out, throwing the Jock off balance as she pushed into him suddenly. The slush in his hand overflowed slightly, splattering to the floor in the quiet hall.

"And what are you going to do about it?" He sneered, straightening back up to tower over her.

"Go on Kurt, I've got this Neanderthal."

The boy nodded his head quickly before moving out of the crowd and rounding the corner to make his way toward the choir room. Santana turned her attention back to Dave then. The Jock was glaring down at the Cheerleader, a wicked smirk pulling at his lips.

"I bed Sue would never let you live it down if you got a big ole stain on your brand new uniform, would she?"

Santana didn't even have time to respond when she felt a rush of cold smack her straight in the face. She gasped, sputtering on the slush that had found its way into her mouth.

"Are you a fucking idiot?!" Quinn's raised voice called out over the collective gasps and snickering of the gathered crowd. Santana tried to reign in her emotions as she wiped the melting red mess from her face and top. She could feel her throat getting tight and all she wanted to do was lash out or break down.

"Oh, shut up. I don't know when you two decided it was a good idea to hang out with those freaks anyway." Dave grunted, waving his hand at them as he turned away from the fuming blonde.

"Let's get you cleaned up..." Quinn whispered, placing a comforting hand on Santana's arm.

"What's the point? Sue will drop me as Captain when she sees this..." The brunette snapped, her voice cracking slightly over the words.

"No, she won't. I'm going to make sure of it."

"And how do you expect to do that?" Santana asked, trying her best to drop the attitude but failing horribly.

Quinn smiled, her eyes roving over the students that were slowly moving away now that the spectacle was over. Some of them still sliding their phones into their pockets from when they had been snapping photos and recording. "Just trust me, I've got it covered."

xxx

"Girls, you're late." Will said, glancing toward the door as Santana and Quinn made their entrance. "But... I will overlook it, since Kurt was just telling me about how you stepped in to help him." He said, his eyes moving over the large stain that now graced the brunette's uniform.

"Oh my God. I am so sorry." Kurt gasped, jumping up from his seat to get a closer look at the damage.

"This is getting out of hand!" Rachel cried out and several of the other students voiced their agreement.

"Yes, I know. And I agree!" Will said, trying to get them to settle back into their seats. "I'm going straight to Figgin's office when we're done here today."

"Lot of good that will do..." Santana muttered, taking a seat in the front row. She ignored the weight of Brittany's gaze and instead focused on Quinn who claimed the seat beside her.

"I'm trying guys but it really does help when you stick together." He said, his eyes moving back to the Cheerleader. "You were very brave standing up to him, and when bully's get resistance like that... They're more likely to back down. Just, keep it non violent. Okay?"

Artie glanced over toward Santana and Quinn, his eyes wary. "Why do you even care, anyway? I mean, aren't you guys just here to sabotage us? Aren't you on _their_ side?"

Santana shot him a glare, her hackles rising. She was about to give him a colorful response when Quinn's hand found hers. The blonde shook her head.

"No, if that's what they were doing... I highly doubt Santana would have stepped in and taken a slushie for me." Kurt argued, his arms folded tightly over his chest.

Santana didn't know if it was the pain in Kurt's eyes, or the warm hand holding her own but she let out a small sigh. Her eyes sought out Tina's and the other girl gave her a small smile.

"I've got something I want to say."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only three more chapters left! The next one may wind up being a little longer just because out of the three, one is an epilogue. Or that was my original plan anyway. Sorry for the delay and I really am hoping to have this story wrapped up soon! I had to piece together all of my notes for it after losing everything. Remember to check out Under My Skin and Apex Predator. Whichever has the most feedback between here and AO3 will be the next story worked on along side Break My Heart after this one is wrapped up. :)
> 
> Thank you for your patience, continued support and in general for just stopping by and reading!


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